


Yu-Gi-Oh! 20:50

by Yugioh2050



Series: Yu-Gi-Oh! 20:50 [1]
Category: Diaclone, Godzilla - All Media Types, Kamen Rider - All Media Types, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Power Rangers, Super Sentai Series, Tokusatsu, Transformers - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types
Genre: 2050, Card Games, Duel Monsters, Expanded Universe, Gen, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Inspired by Twitter, Major Original Character(s), Monsters, Multiverse, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Post-Ceremonial Duel, Roleplay, Roleplay Logs, Twitter, Twitter Roleplay, Unofficial Sequel, Yu-Gi-Oh! 2050, unofficial
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:01:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 65,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24751279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yugioh2050/pseuds/Yugioh2050
Summary: A shaft of light to cease the darkness. Our story takes place within the same world as Yu-Gi-Oh, and Yu-Gi-Oh GX. 8 years after the passing of Yugi Muto, and the catastrophic monster invasion known as the "Titanic Impact." We follow the adventures of a group of four young heroes under the tutelage of Seto Kaiba at a new Duel Academy fighting against the forces of evil... As time goes on, our heroes learn about the stories and worlds that co-exist with theirs, and learn about the creation of the greater Yu-Gi-Oh Multiverse. This Web Novel includes many custom cards based upon different franchises, but is not a traditional crossover.
Series: Yu-Gi-Oh! 20:50 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1789861
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Foreword, Authors Note
> 
> Yu-Gi-Oh 2050 originally began as a passion project between a small handful of writers within the roleplay, and CSM communities of Yu-Gi-Oh on Twitter, and Discord. Since early 2019 we have been working tirelessly, creating new ideas, scrapping, reworking and overall polishing (and still plotting out within a "world book" every facet of this universe, and so on behalf of our prominent writer Asuna we are proud to bring you the prologue to the sum of our work: Yu-Gi-Oh! 20:50.
> 
> All of the characters held within this WebNovel will be credited in an afterword, as well as their paragraphs and other written notes, as this is a group work based loosely upon events done in roleplay, and ad-libbed notes upon the written pages of our collective journals. What awaits in these pages is a dismal retro-future and the world 2050 within a continuity that expands upon the original GX/Duel Monsters continuity. The direct prologue picks up a short week after the City of New York has been ravaged by five colossal Titans which take up the form of famous movie monsters. Yugi Muto has died, and we seemingly jump years into the future to our main protagonist seeing the sights of the former Big Apple and giving us hints and glimpses at what is to come.
> 
> The writing of this series is very slow-burning and takes its time setting up the plot, and the events held therewithin. We take a heavy emphasis upon writing our characters first, and their development just the same and hope that we bring a new flavour with every arc and enormously complex characters in a new setting that can only be described as "magical". With that being said, everything here within regarding the written story, original characters, and custom cards (Which can be found on DuelingBook upon announcement) are owned by us, all custom mechanics, and contributed characters will be credited accordingly within the foreword with links.
> 
> Please check out our other social media accounts YuGiOh2050. Please report any stolen content, and be respectful. All of our OCs and Custom Cards are not to be used for roleplay, or other works without permission, please ask via our Twitter, or PMs before you use any of our custom assets. Furthermore, this fanfiction is based solely upon the shared universe of many characters in roleplay, including many events that are within YGORP/YugiohRP, and acts as the backstory to many characters. Please follow along, and enjoy! These first few chapters focus upon the beginning of the school year and setting up the themes and setting of the new Union Academy.
> 
> Our first chapter begins years after the Dark Side of Dimensions, and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, after a cataclysmic event, has destroyed New York City. We open with Seto Kaiba and his assistant, Z-483LL. This is our prologue into the world and a rather sombre one at that. The subsequent chapters are primarily character-focused and driven, as is the rest of this series. And these writers notes will act as subtle information drops from our team to provide various things such as upcoming duels, and various other things!  
> Enjoy!

"So here we are… And I wanted a room with a view. Fucking hell, I don't know what you expected." Says a deep, weary, disembodied voice. The ricketing of a mechanical latch is heard, following after closing of a door, and the loud audible thud of luggage hitting the cheap vinyl floor—a man arriving from work, tired, and weary after the day's events. And the steps of his wet work boots clumsily thudding against the creaking floors. He's over it. But awaiting him around the corner of such a weary day is what little he has in what is now his miserable life. The ruffling of cloth is heard, made alongside an exhausted sigh. He is not alone… Addressing someone just across the entryway, waiting in their relatively small living room. The atmosphere is drab and dull. High-quality, yet humble… After putting his things down, and retrieving a barely-dry pack of cigarettes from his coat; he lights one. A pure gold lighter in his knackered hands, engraved with the letters' KC', stylized like a dragon. He takes a drag of the cancerous stick and looks on to the person he comes back to this place to every day, who looks on to him with a smile, glistening eyes, filled with life… Despite the male's appearance, she tries not to give back such a saddening impression.

"There's nothing left," he says, exhaling out the pale grey smoke into the air, allowing it to cascade and float up into the ceiling. He turns to his right, glancing and moving his hand to a black milk crate filled with dilapidated record jackets, and beginning to flip through them, one-by-one… "I haven't worked in over a year for god's sake…" he whines once again, opening up one of the old relics of an age thought long gone. He moves his other hand up once again to mouth the still-burning cylinder of tobacco; once again continuing to speak to his partner. He looks down at the record player, starting to fiddle with the device. "They thought that help was coming…" he says while placing it down, and dragging the needle across to the rim of the black disk. "There is no help coming." he finishes, as the opening to Bohemian Rhapsody begins to gently play across the room.

"Every day I have to go out there, telling them that all of this isn't for nothing. And that we'll make it somewhere along the way… Bullshit. Go with the flow, and everything will come back to normal they say…" he says while walking to a massive window. He takes one last drag of the cigarette, stepping closer to the light in the sky growing ever-so higher illuminating both parties in the room, a man tapping out his cigarette into an ashtray, and a woman. "But look at the bright side… I'm number one again, right? But what am I left with… No drive, no hope."

He turns to the side, illuminating his rather sharp, angled face. Well worn with age, but retaining such immaculate youth. His body is rigid in posture, dressed fine like a nobleman, with muscles that shine through such loose office clothing. Much deceiving of his age, but the tell-tale sign is the tinges of silver alongside his brunette hair. He's dressed in mourning black… "And the most fucked up thing… You never know how you're going to handle it all. And even after all this time, trying to fight the inevitable… You still can't get a grip on it." he finally says, as the woman walks forward.

"I know it's no use trying to console you, but… You always just say it, 'go with the flow'." the female says in a light, airy tone. Each syllable reverberates through their humble home with a mechanical undertone, matching her appearance. Similar pristine clothing of a duchess, pale white skin, giving off no heat. No life… Yet her facial expression seems so unnervingly artificial. Yet so perfect… So innocent. "Isn't that right, Mr Kaiba?"

"Don't use my own rhetoric against me…" he says, the man now identified as Seto Kaiba. "Only dead fish go with the flow" he looks on. A hand reaches out slowly, yet the other still recoils slightly out of surprise, gently moving it against her cheek… Ice cold, robbing him of his senses. Its texture is so real, so grounding. Taking him back into reality, and bringing him back down to earth. Both of them look out the window of a ruined city, the streets are clear. Being cleaned… Everyone and everything is becoming orderly. Slowly rebuilding, before being taken aback by once again the ruffling of fabric, shifting against one another.

Seto looked down to find her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, her other cheek against his chest due to their height difference. He looks down, returning her soft gesture with a returned hug. "So what's this then...?" Seto asks, unclear as to what provoked this strange ‘artificial’ girl’s action... He's thinking… How can such a thing like herself feel the need to console him in such a way? Or feel at all..? She was… Artificial. "Everything will be okay, master," she says… Provoking a short sigh to escape from the male's lips. "You…" is all that could escape his lips, as his arms ride upwards, dragging her in just a bit tighter.

For a moment, she can feel something roll and drop to graze against her cheek. A tear. One of the many things she can't make… The legendary Duelist Seto Kaiba. The master of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon himself… Brought down to this from just a hug… What could have brought him to this? "Everything will be okay" he responds… Holding on to the last thing he has left… A silly little robot. His eyes look back to the record, the previously mentioned song reaching the end of its epilogue. The piano begins, and he closes his eyes. Yet another tear strolling down his cheek. Sobbing.

June 4th, 2050

New York City is alive, once again the city that never sleeps… The big apple has fallen from grace. And despite being pristine, it's skyscrapers reaching up and up… The town just isn't the same. The sky's always overcast, sometimes dark, but it never rains. The air is crisp, never bringing with it the warmth of summer. Everyone is silent, awaiting a day they can find happiness… And for those who live in the high-rise 'blocks'; every day is night. And still… The world is still run by the cards. People make money with their cards. People fight for cards. People fight WITH cards. Ever since the events but 8 years prior… Everyone views these cards as raw, unbridled power.

5 colossal drops of rancid blood drew down upon the city, summoning 5 Duel Monsters with unbelievable spirit, dragging the city down to the ground, and even further in the ensuing months. Duel Monsters have ruined this city. They have ruined the lives of all within. They have taken the lives of all within. All stand facing north-east, awaiting a day they can find good news. And for those who live surrounded by screens; every day is bad news. And still… Their world is all news. Who's making money? Who's fighting for money. Who's fighting WITH money. Ever since the events 8 years prior… Everyone wants money. The money buys the cards.

Major bets… People putting their life savings on the line. The Duel Monsters world championship of 2034. Yugi Muto vs 'The Masked Duelist'. Everyone put their bets on Yugi… All of them lost, but none greater than Seto Kaiba. Who lost his last chance to finally beat Yugi once and for all. Dozens to hundreds to thousands of New York citizens left impoverished, let down by the display. Yugi was beaten, broken, in front of millions worldwide over TV, Livestream, and even Radio. And to top it all off… The cards he was defeated with were one of a kind. Only to be given to a no-name child before their original user walked off. All stand lost for direction, awaiting a day they can carry on without the man who taught them where the heart lies.

And in those high rise blocks… On all those screens across the city. All those wavering hearts who've lost their hope, their spirit. This is the day they mourn. This is the day where the pain grows worse. Thousands knew of him. Only a handful could say they truly knew him. And for those of either relation; the loss was always significant. And on today of all days, it hit hardest for one man, locked away in his high-rise apartment, or within his office space, silent. Seto Kaiba packs his briefcase, high above the sea of filth and corruption that is his new city, preparing for the day… Today was an anniversary. Today was a brand new day. Today was finally his chance to restart… But to say today belonged to him, and him alone an overstatement. Today was the day New York finally came back together…

A synth beat rolls… The steady tempo of a bass line reverbs through the air, as new white sneakers carefully dance themselves down a deserted alleyway, past the hissing of steam work pipes in the ground. The movements are carefree yet precise. Calculated and smooth. The boy's appearance was clean, well-pressed. Those sneakers accentuate up to straight blue-jeans and a similarly navy-blue sweater over top of a white dress shirt. His other markings being that of an indicator pin on his collar, a crown; the symbol of Queens. But his main trait was his deep red hair, an almost dark-burgundy, offset by his shimmering blue-eyes. The peak of his youth… The boy continued making their way down the alley, and out into the busy streets, listening to mid-80s pop music.

The redhead would quickly turn the corner, greeting main-street—the heart of New York. The pep in his step only picked up, as his headphones visibly vibrated due to the bass, his mouth opening to sing along to what was loaded into his cassette deck. "Why did you let him get away?" he began to sing.

After the staring, what did you say?" he snappily sang, now continuing down the street to the rhythm of Al Capone. He would look onwards across an intersection and down once again as the tempo picked up to its chorus. "You should have told her, nobody ever showed her about us. No one's sleeping, nobody should be grieving' this way" he continued, still moving down past all the bustle of the regular city he'd always known, and to his favourite spot along the way; Donatella's.

Outside there already seemed to be someone waiting for him, a large old woman, holding out two things for him to quickly retrieve. Seeing this; he would soon put down his headphones and rush over to the woman, already shouting at him. "Yuusuke! You can't leave these things just laying around!" she says in a half-joking tone as if the two had known each other for a long time. The child now identified as Yuusuke ran down too quickly, noticing that the items this woman had for him were his missing backpack and a slice of pizza. "No kidding! Thanks, grandma!" he said, as his dance moves smoothly transitioned to him putting on the pack and grabbing the pizza. His precision knew no bounds, as he also allowed the movement to lean his head in; allowing his grandmother to kiss him. "Thank you again, tell Luka it's her turn to run register tonight please!" he once again shouted, already halfway down the street, and then further down to a grouping of yellow busses.

Yusuke continued his way down Main Street, joyously ending his song on a high note, and bringing his nerves for the day ahead with his mid-80s playlist. His shoulder would make a sharp rise, jostling his backpack for a moment to check if his prized possession was still intact; indeed, it was… And with that, he would shift his headphones back on to drown out the noise of the city. To drown out the noise of today. He would take his pale fingers and gently clasp onto his lukewarm slice of pepperoni pizza, on the other hand, moving it to his mouth as the overcast skies set the sombre tone of the next song in his playlist, 'Something in the Way.' Entirely fitting of today, as without warning; all of the screens scattered about Manhattan would blank out into a stark white. Today was a day of mourning for some. A day of remembrance for others. But for all who had the spirit; a day of celebration. Of life. An occasion that Yusuke did not want to, instead, he chose to listen to Michael Bolton as everyone along those bustling streets went silent.

Along all of those screens was a man, one single man… Yugi Muto. Someone who gave Yusuke so much hope, so much vitality. The one he looked up to. Words would begin rushing along all of the video bulletins across Main Street, all flying by all the way up the street and to what was formerly the New York Times building, each word the name of a card that was once within the deck of Yugi Muto. Yusuke turned around to face the centre of the city, looking up at a picture of his hero in his youth, then back to his destination as all the screens simultaneously flashed with 'In Memorial, Happy Birthday'. A sombre way to start the day, to start the new year in a new school. But seeing such a sad sight was oddly uplifting. As if he knew he was watching down upon his legacy, ensuring him safe passage on his next adventure in life. He looked up, almost nearing the collection of people in similar uniforms to his, grouped via the colour and pins on their uniforms. Being put into groups and transportation devices.

Sadly for him, he recognized nobody from his former school, the Queen's Academy of Synchro Arts. And as he approached the busses which read "Union Duel Academy", he could only think to himself what an opportunity this was. To be a part of something great, something incredible. He continued to eat his food, just thinking about what was to await him. He smiled as once again his song shifted to brighten his mood, and the day, as the screens all around him began to replay various duels throughout the history of the former King of Games, getting amped up. The youth would wolf down the rest of his food before picking up his step once again to that same graceful movement he began the day with, thinking to himself as he stepped to the curb where all of his future peers awaited… 'I'm going to be him someday'...

He looked around to the sea of faces, dozens upon dozens of others who had the same wishes as him… So many 'no-name faces' he thought to himself—nobody with any distinction. But to regard himself as being any different was foolish, even more so when the children all around him watched the King of Games just above their heads. They all had the _same_ role model. His approach would quickly be met with a member of staff, who promptly began to motion for him to display his ID, which he would hastily fish out. And just as the others thought… This was no different from his everyday life, or when he first entered his regular school. Maybe this was just all in his head… Maybe in the spur of the last moment, he considered something great to be of today from the video… Just maybe… And as the mild-mannered 'normal' of the school caught his ID and corralled him into his bus, that's when he saw it…

"Hayashi Akiko, young lady you are late!" he heard before entering. Turning back, that's when he saw it… Another student, unlike the rest. Dressed in a much different uniform than his. Another director in a similarly commanding attire raised his voice at hers, and despite this… Her face was just so cold. So captivating. He couldn't help but take an extra second staring back at her, taking in every last bit of her appearance. Her dark-blue militaristic uniform with large winged-out tails, covered pins of rank and award, only to be broken and, offset by an unmatching purple jacket. Everything fit her curved frame beautifully, but it was her face… Gloomy pale skin, with beautiful feminine curves, thin pinkly veiled lips. And her eyes. Deeply and unnaturally red irises and nearly welling with tears. As if she was sleep deprived for years. Her hair gave off a similarly stressed appearance, as her lavender fringes turned to a mysterious pale white at their tips. And despite her face showing such depth in negative emotion… She was like a beauty queen…

He was so taken out of reality staring at her he didn't fully realize what he was doing until being told… "Hey pal, move it!" said an angry grizzly voice. Yusuke would look back directly behind himself once again, not finding anyone until his view immediately looked forward, finding a… Fusion student..? "Y-Yeah man, but I think you've got the wrong bus here…" Yusuke retorted. Looking down, he seemed quite familiar, though this young man's features were very… Odd. Shaggy silver hair, deep red-eyes. Similar to the girl he just saw… Still, that was beside the point. "No, I got told to be here," he said, now walking at the same time as Yusuke. Seemed like they were the last to get on, as only two seats remained.

As the two began to walk back Yusuke couldn't help but ask… "Aren't you a fusion student though..?" he said, curious due to the pin and colouring of his attire being the two obelisks of Staten Island. "Yeah, the other bus was full, so…" he said as the two shuffled into the last aisle. The other boy's demeanour was quite snippy, aggressive. Incredibly amusing to Yusuke, who was typically used to mundane mild-mannered life. This once again invigorated the spark that today was going to be different. But, the road to the Union Academy was quite long, so seeing as he was to spend the next hour aboard with this kid, he'd ask… "If you're a fusion student, do you know who that one girl was..?", his vibrato was only slightly shaky, the aura she gave off was just so… Alluring, and cold.

"Oh, her..? That's Akiko."

"Akiko?" he asked in response.

"Yeah, she's the best in the fusion ward. People called her the Duel Devastator."

"Like the set..?"

"No, for a much different reason."

The two began engaging in conversation, back and forth. As this new kid continued explaining this Akiko to him. And as the transportation started to move several busses filled with students from all over NYC, the smaller student began whispering a tale from the Fusion Ward, a place shrouded in secrecy and mysticism. Nobody hears a word out, and nobody gets a word in… Until now. The military regime-Esque state doesn't often let their members out, but this boy was certainly a loudmouth… And he certainly wasn't one to hold back on secrets. However, these were rumours that spread even past the confines of the state…

"People call her the Duel Devastator, some even call her the Demon Engine. I don't know her very well, but we used to be friends before now," he says. In truth, the Fusion Ward had two schools, the second not even being known to even really exist via the general populous. But the existence of Akiko in her robe just confirmed this existence. The Fusion Primary School, and the Fusion Accolades.

"But, there's a legend among the guys who were a lot closer among her that leaked out, I heard that she brought down an entire stadium with her cards alone." With his story complete, the new kid would then go back to sitting in a rigid upright position, chuckling lightly at Yusuke's expression. "Why, do you have a crush on her, kid?" he rudely interjected. "No, she's just… Interesting…" "That's what they all say, but, she's apparently the adoptive daughter of the director, the president of the ward or something…" "Shit, really?!" Yusuke says in surprise.

"Like I said I _knew_ her, but I didn't really… Well, see past her. She's pretty reclusive, but something about her _pisses_ me off at the same time… She's a bit snobbish…" Chipp continued. The other would laugh at his surprise, it was quite amusing to hear him exclaim in such a way, though the two had already seemed to be off to a good start. He'd outstretch a hand. "Name's Chipp Macaster," he says with a toothy grin.

For a moment, Yusuke was hesitant on whether or not to accept the handshake. Though through some utter reluctance, he still stuck his hand against the others and took the camaraderie. "My name's Yusuke. Kagami Yuusuke." "Well, then Yus', nice to meet you!"

June 4th 2050, the day an entire generation restarted, in the shadow of the fallen King of Games, and began the next generation of Duel Academy, in a city filled with grievance and loss. And though the entire duelling world mourned today, none mourned harder than the owner of this new academy.

"So, Mr Kaiba… Are you ready?" says a familiar robotic tone. The gentle hum of a car's engine carrying both, their destination being clear… "Yes," he quickly states in a monotone response, "I was born ready". His robot companion would nod in response, a thin smile present upon her artificial lips. She was happy, it's been years in the making, ever since Yugi left this world. "I'm sure this will be amazing," she said. The CEO would pull out a flask while trailing her words, taking a drink of whatever was contained within while moving his eye to his robotic assistant. "I know it will, I'm the one operating this academy…"


	2. Awakening, Part 1

The start of the new week. A new day. Dawn. Outside was bright, for once in eight years, the seas that the Union Academy's living complex overlooked for once was calm. Coney Island, no, the rest of the city. It was all finally calm… Serene. The morning was a time for preparation, especially for him. Seto Kaiba. What was once a restful slumber is torn apart, his dreams coming to a sudden end, not to tranquil sounds of the sea, but by the noise of an alarm clock, far too loud for any sane man to have but for him, it was necessary.

His hand strikes down against a stainless steel alarm clock, reading out in electronic tone the day, and time to an already groaning man. "Monday, 5 AM" it chimes, in a similar voice to that of a particular robot girl. Kaiba would attempt to come to an immediate rise, finding his rigid spine unable to fully raise his torso. Rising to wake in his new home, his new penthouse, all the way at the top of the living complex of Union, the all-types Duel Academy. He had fallen asleep several hours earlier, twelve to be exact… The first real night's sleep he'd seemingly gotten in over twenty years… This time he was not plagued with stress, or hellish nightmares of past traumas, but rather cold refreshing darkness, acting to relieve himself of stress. Today he woke up not feeling at his worst, but genuinely at ease.

He casually yawned, already balling up his fists and stretching out while the alarm clock spoke to him, seemingly interfaced with his robotic assistant who had already begun to project themselves on a virtual panel in front of his face, beaming down on him through the darkness of his studio, and blinding him. He recoiled slightly, yet still unphased. With his eyes now seared shut, he sighed, a bit annoyed at his partner's sudden appearance. Subconsciously he knew she meant well, and she was simply doing her job, and acting upon her programmed motives. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but still get annoyed at the artificial intelligence's lack of awareness. Although he was only slightly inconvenienced with her hologram's appearance; he patiently listened to her while revelling in the gentle darkness of his room. He wanted only a few minutes more to let his body wake up with his mind. He wasn't ready to draw up the blinds and face the overcast skies that have plagued his life for almost ten years now.

The man was in his sixties. And he wasn't ageing well. But in all fairness, he's never _been_ well. The only thing to keep him grounded, the only thing to keep him sane in his life had been taken from him. Not by time, and not by forces, he couldn't even _begin_ to acknowledge. But by his own stupidity, and lack of care. His own brother, gone because of his own greed. And now, the only real light in his life was that of an artificial human. He called her DSS Z-483LL, quite a mouthful. Others referred to her affectionately as 'Christine,' her 'human name'. And to him, she was his assistant. She wasn't human, or just a mere assistant program, but an entity built entirely from scratch by both himself and Mokuba, whose sole purpose was assistance in his day-to-day needs. She was near in-different from an actual human, yet to Kaiba; she was just a robot. "Don't get up too fast, sir," she said while making a polite bow from her floating monitor.

"Did you sleep well last night?" she asked, still cold and unfeeling in a monotone draw, but her cadence was still so soft, and orderly as if she actively was trying to make herself sound less artificial. She couldn't see him well, the only camera she used for sight in the room being in the opposite direction, and in pitch-black darkness. The only real discernable object being that of her own screen's light. But she could see one thing, his feelings. His vitals were always continuously monitored, several small metal inserts lined his skin, embedded directly into his well-worn muscles. And through his vitals, through reading neural activity and even his temperature; she could see straight through him. By his temperature and his blood pressure, she could guess his feelings with some form of accuracy. And by the signals in his muscles across his joints, and even on his face, she could infer stress.

The CEO rolled over opposite the face of her hologram, trying to get the light out of his face. His eyelids opened halfway, "Yes, just let me enjoy the morning… Please. " he sternly pleaded, dismissing the android who instead resorted to being solely audio. "Your vitals are implying the opposite... Are you stressed?" she asked, "No..." he'd say in a snappy response, already very quickly realizing why he _didn't_ enjoy mornings... He simply _knew_ what was to come in the next day.

"The breakfast and the opening ceremony will begin in approximately one hour, twenty-three minutes, and fifty-eight seconds. Please use this time for your own leisure, I've already done your necessary maintenance work for my brothers and sisters" she says, her 'brothers and sisters' meaning the other DSS systems running the school. DSS was a program he had created just over a decade prior, before _the event_ , and even further back than that... They were simple androids that could be used for a wide variety of tasks for any company, or person that could afford them. They were _real_ _artificial humans_ capable of any task. But they in no means could replace the _real_ job of a _real_ human. What they lacked in critical thinking and 'free will' was made up for in their Duel Monsters capabilities. As their initial and 'true' purpose was always for Duel Monsters. It was in the name 'DSS,' an acronym for "Duelist Support System."

DSS systems are all scored by a rank, a single letter starting at A-F, and then X, and Z. Following that is their three-digit ID number next, and then a dual value string of two random English characters indicating their body model. A-Units were the general work units, doing heavy-lifting tasks unfit for humans. Next were the B-Units, who did sorting, and other forms of repetitive labour which... C units and D units acted as complex receptionists, guides, and assistants. E and F units were almost strictly for Duel Monsters and used in thousands of academies and Duel Clubs around the world long before now... These androids were his most outstanding achievement, even more of success than even the Duel Disk. And she among all things was incomparable to _all_ of her aforementioned 'siblings,' for she was the only Z-Type DSS in existence. _She_ was a truly 'intelligent' AI system. Kaiba would finally open his eyes to view what little light was in the room...

With that, he would sigh, still listening to his assistant speak on in a tone not dissimilar from a real human, but filtered, and rigid... Often most holding no emotion, yet even so having lots of expressional nuances that made her all that bit more _human._ The back Seto's mind was rattling nonstop with ideas, and the eve of his school's opening was no longer nigh, but finally _here_. "With that being said, at ten the introductory speech will be given at the school's main grounds, as requested personally owned press outlets will be the only journalists given entry.", she continued. With the last of his daily routine about to be read out to him, Kaiba stopped her for a moment, rudely interjecting to ask within his regular bossy tone; "Have I gotten word back to my business inquiry?" he asked, his assistant reprieving for a moment. Stuttered, pained even. "No sir…" she answered in a deepened, and subtly sorrowful tone.

This brought Seto's eyes back to a close, giving out a deep sigh before he began to roll the blankets off of him. As he began to get out of bed, his joints would pop, and grind painfully... "Agh..." he murmured in distress... Simply put, he had _severe_ arthritis, an indication of his poor ageing. He couldn't help it, the man now in his 50s was deteriorating rapidly, miserably. Perhaps punishment of his prior misdeeds, and immodest lifestyle... "Open the blinds" he commanded, his robotic assistant heeding his call by doing just that and causing the pitch-black cloth covering his windows to roll up, unveiling and revealing the pale blue-light of day to break into the room. Seto would let out an unimpressed sigh, something which his assistant addressed with concern. "Seto…", she replied, only to be ignored by her master who despised her calling upon him by his first name... He couldn't stand it. And even so… She continued to address him, "You know Mokuba's doing alright..." she once again speaks as he started to get out of bed. The mere mentioning of _that_ name was enough to ruin what he was already feeling to be a good morning...

"Of course I know that." he scoffs, now stepping up and onto the cold tile floor, his knee letting out yet another snap of its joints. Grimacing again in sharp discomfort, and cursing to himself under his breath… He was older now, not ready to accept that fact, but he wasn't done living yet. He was still healing and getting better. Regardless of all of the stress, the loss, everything that he's endured through all this time. Whether it be his initial adventures with Yugi, and the Pharaoh. To later in life, fighting against Aigami... The _first_ Duel Academy, and many _many_ failed attempts to start a legacy in-between. Something about him was lost, apparent by his vapid and 'empty' use of language. One could infer that it was perhaps the death of Yugi 8 years prior. Or more so the very thought of his brother that brought him such emptiness.

Nonetheless, it was _all_ just a reminder of how old he truly was. Overexertion, far too many long nights, and a general disregard to himself were all to blame for this. His general lack of self-care and rest was almost non-existent. And now his body was exposed to the light. He was still well-built and toned. His muscles were well defined, well-toned. It was clear he had a good workout routine, and ate well. His skin is loose around the eyes and wrinkled lightly in some areas. His fingers were well worn, calloused over. He certainly was Kaiba, but not the same Kaiba as he once was before. He was matured and hardened through years of conflict. And unlike the duelists whom he fought, and fought alongside; he wasn't at _all_ the same man. He simply was

His facial features were still impeccably sharp, his visage seemingly not having aged a day. In the appearance of his face alone, he was still a wealthy businessman as he was in his youth. But another look over his body revealed a metal brace over both the left arm and leg. One of the many physical traumas he had received in his youth going improperly treated and giving him yet another day-by-day struggle... From a distance, he could still be in his thirties… But closer up, he had crow's feet, bags under his eyes… A large patch of silver hair streaking across what was once his fine brunette strands of hair, now dangling down as if it hadn't been cut in years. He was still well kept, bar a subtle '5 o'clock shadow.' But it was all even more evidence that he was not the same Seto Kaiba…

He began advancing towards the window, once again prompting his virtual secretary to appear as a full-bodied image against the glass, attempting to present him with a smile. "Master, I know you're saddened, but-" she tried to whisper, his eyes fixated downwards, his face filled with disdain. Even so, his arm would raise... For a minute, he showed _genuine_ anger as he raised his hand to the hologram, and violently smacked his palm flat against the glass. "Don't you dare..." he snarled, his palm then turning into a fist once again to angrily bang upon the glass, deeply, and emotionally pained... "You are an artificial intelligence system," he says, "You're nothing but a heap of compiled code, and I will _not_ be talked down upon like I'm some helpless child in need of therapy..."

He _wasn't_ angry at his assistant, no, furious at himself. Mad at a past he couldn't change, furious with things he couldn't change. And the familial relationship he had with the last of his flesh and blood torn to metaphorical shreds. It had been over eight years, and the pain was still fresh. He simply didn't want to heal from it... With his hand pressed against the cold glass he scorned, letting out a deep disgruntled sigh, the AI's projection met this look with a deadpan expression. For being a 'heap of compiled code,' she still showed a great depth of emotional confliction. Seto's rude and abrasive nature had seemingly never changed, but as time went on, and she grew much smarter, much wiser, much _freer.._. So did he. She had never seen him make an outburst such as this, she had never _seen_ him show pain… The metaphorical gears within her head-turning, perhaps feeling. " Seto Kaiba… " she says, the tone within her electronic voice becoming blurred, filled with an aggressive static baritone, distorted even further than it already was to simulate some form of anger...

"Get yourself together..." she commanded, the bass in her voice heavy enough to be felt within the bones of the old CEO. With that her hologram would completely dissipate, the lights in Mr room turning on. "I will _not_ have you acting like this!" she said while entering the room with her physical body... "Z-483LL!" he began to shout but quickly silenced by the feminine android's _strong_ words... "You are so strong, Mr Kaiba. Please find the strength to carry on, or you might as well be useless..." She said, silencing and shocking him for a moment as he turned around... He would turn around, his azure eyes looking up into hers invigorated. She knew she was right. _He_ knew she was right... Not wanting to admit it, he instead met it with a "Tsk… " from betwixt his teeth. He couldn't help but stare past her walking forth from the doorframe and ogle at a picture of Mokuba, himself, and her as she was so long ago... She was much smaller... She was much younger-looking... And as disgusting as it was to him; she was just a 'little girl' to him back then...

"What will it be then, master?" his assistant asked, both of them not looking for any further conflict... "Let's get ready for work" he sternly answered, stressing out those words simply to _pacify_ the situation... For the first time in a long time, he felt at someone's mercy. He was at odds with someone who could keep up with him both physically and mentally... She had the capacity, she had the ability... And whether she had _real_ feelings or 'sentience;' she could _still_ get to him in this way... She knew everything about him, she indeed was _his,_ just as he was _hers_. And looking back at the photo, and then back at her, he couldn't help but feel _something_ towards _it._ He couldn't help but feel a confliction, an unmistakable sense of _something._ Something of which could not be put to words—a _conviction._

"Then good morning, Mr Kaiba." the AI said trying to force out a smile. Despite her previous demeanour, and despite her previous attitude towards her master; she always _tried_ to smile. She owed it to him because she was the last thing he had. "Tsk…" Seto once again murmured. Still unliking of whatever dynamic they had— _Incredibly so._ For once in his life, he finally viewed someone as a _true_ equal that _wasn't Mokuba.._. It shocked him, to yet realize that someone, _something_ could surprise him straight down to his core, and now; she continued looking at him as _if_ it was normal. As _if_ she _knew_ him. Her deep blue optics looking up to stare right at him… Her perfectly shaped pale-blue lips curving upon their sides to present him with all he had… "You're such a nuisance," he says, back to his regular demeanour. "When will you _ever_ know who you are, and where you stand with me...?" he barked, disgruntled. He didn't _want_ an equal out of her. Yet subconsciously, he had a feeling, a fear. Maybe what he wanted was simply _someone._

"I already do, my master" she replied, her statement tailed closely with a sincere and innocent chuckle... What came next was not expected, one leg sultrily shifting in front of another, her hips swaying from side to side. Each tap of her heavy metal soles hitting into the floor… The CEO crossed his arms as the droid continued to approach him, the rising sun now illuminating her features further as she walked ever closer. "And where would that be..?" he asks, moving one of his hands up to cover a growing blush as the repeated _thumps_ of her heavy-metal feet echoed through his room in unison with the subtle jiggling of her rather large bosom. Something he'd never quite wished to acknowledge, but even so... She wasn't the same robot as in that picture, just like him... She had grown, and she had _undoubtedly_ matured into a well-figured woman—something he didn't wish to admit but found quite captivating, and awe-inspiring.

Her response would be dramatically delayed as she closed the gap they had just made for each other both physically, and mentally. Ever since the day she was born as an AI, and then an Android; she learned. She read, and she watched human behaviours to get to where she is now. To be a therapeutic aid to him, and to grow for his sake, and his needs. And despite her sporadic mannerisms in speech, she continued to self-improve, and ultimately alter her physical body and 'grow' to what she _knew_ he liked. "I'm waiting…" Kaiba quipped, provoking an actual response to his question instead of whatever his mischievous android had planned. And yet what came next filled him once again with a strange sense of confliction, she had pulled him into a warm, and tight embrace.

The rising sun illuminated her actions _very_ clearly, yet the CEO couldn't help but flinch as her jet-black hands reached past him, up around his shoulders. And with every last bit of her strength hugged him. For the first time in 8 years, they had embraced. Once again, just like _that_ night so many years ago... His eyes opened wide, leaning down once again being _reminded_ of _that night._ He sighed, mimicking that which he did so much long ago and embraced _his_ creation back. At one point she was much smaller, much more juvenile. And now **both** of them had grown. Both of them had aged. And now **_both_** of them were almost entirely different people. The only differences were in their faces. He looked back up to that picture once more, conflict _still_ in his eyes and unable to go away as he looked into the robot's previously youthful visage.

Her ghostly pale-white skin was illuminated by the sun, just like the flash of the camera which took _that_ photo. The only contrast of her beautiful face is that of her deep-blue eyes, enticing blue lipstick, and her cobalt hair; the same then as it is now. Her smile, her finely crafted cheekbones—that 'baby face,' had changed. She was still the same _artificial_ girl, the same 'Christine.' But she now had subtle crows feet in upon the corners of her eyes, 'laugh lines,' stress marks upon her cheeks. Her eyelashes were 'fuller,' and much more angular than before. She wasn't that same little robot she was then... She didn't look like a girl anymore, she was a _mature woman. S_ he was far taller than she was then too, now tall enough to nuzzle her head into his neck... Enough to get in close and whisper "It's with you..."

Her words continued to stricken him with an odd combination of both good and bad feelings—Yet, Something about this invigorated him with pride. He snivelled at the same time as she embraced him, trying to cast away this feeling of satisfaction... "Now stop being a grumpy cat…" she chuckled, hoping to abruptly kill the tension in some regard and give him something she recalled Mokuba saying once or twice before… "I'll do as I please..." he said quite emotionlessly in response, both of his hands riding up further across her back and holding her ever tighter. A part of his mind _wanted_ to reprieve, to move on. But his body just wasn't letting him.

Something about this could be interpreted as beautiful, it could be seen as romantic or intimate. But Seto simply didn't feel love towards this robot, he didn't feel anything... He felt indifferent, but something provoked him further to touch her more... something he so rarely did. She was warm... And despite the odd colouration of her body; every inch of it felt like living and _breathing_ skin. Something he couldn't help but stone facedly marvel in...

As Kaiba began to touch against her, he couldn't help but hold his breath in a ravishing refrain. Despite his harsh demeanour, he couldn't help but relish in the touch of someone else—Something else... Even though it was just a robot, it still felt lifelike. It filled a gap in his life as he continued to curiously nudge his fingertips into her back... "So soft…" is all Z-4 could gently elicit, as he touched against her sensors... It seemed as though he was warming up if only slightly, discarding his prior anguish in favour of gentle care. But Kaiba soon caught his dropped guard and once again went rigid. He once again put up the 'wall' as he uttered "Model revision 483, I think this is fine for now…" in a dead expression.

Not wanting to bring him down again, she sighed. "Vert well," she gently chirped whilst pacing backwards and giving him space. She too would stare into his eyes, recognizing an upturn in his mood which she didn't want to break. And he was staring back _just_ as intensely, thinking upon her. Contemplating her... One feeling that was _certain_ in his mind is that she _was_ his. And that she was merely his machine, his companion. Someone to ease the workload when needed. But above all else, she was made to aid in his help. And the reassuring smile was enough to bring _some_ sentimental feeling to the old man's cold heart... And despite both of their innocence being long-since eradicated; he couldn't help but still see her the way he did when they first met... Once again, he lingered upon that porcelain white face of hers...

Despite its colour and appearance; every part of her exterior was synthetic skin. Her arms and her legs from a distance looked to be near-black gunmetal, while her midsection was a much lighter shade to provide contrast. Her joins balled at individual sections, almost reminiscent of a doll. And a close look at every last bit of her artificial hide would give better detail, as it was covered in thousands of tiny-hexagons like some kind of ballistic material. Unlike most DSS systems, she embraced this. She enjoyed her porcelain white face and her inhuman colourization. And despite her master's closed-off heart, he _secretly_ enjoyed looking upon her beautiful and buxom build... Other DSS systems wore the most basic of clothing or had dyes applied to cheap synthetic skin; she revelled within her own complexion and didn't hide with useless clothing.

She indeed was beautiful, and her fluidity of both movement and action only led people to believe she was a cosplayer more than an artificial human. And despite being just a solid hologram, her AI body was only more beautiful. Like all DSS systems, she had no genitals, and no need to wear clothing. But unlike her much more basic brothers and sisters; they were modelled off of humans. They had the same skin colour, the same voices. They were simply 'factory presets,' while she was utterly unique...

"Good day, Mr Kaiba," she said, bidding her master farewell. "One last thing…" Kaiba says before she went away; "Anything, Mr Kaiba" she responds while gently letting go of his hands. "I've left you something in my office." he bluntly says, causing the robot's demeanour to once again shift to a brimming, and appreciative smile. "Understood" And with the last of her words transmitting through the speaker, she disappeared. Dispersing and floating into the air in a cloud of white pixels, similarly to a destroyed duel monster, thus eliminating her solid-vision, courtesy of Ener-D…

And finally… The lights in the CEO's room would turn on, leaving him alone once again, and for his partner's robotic body to awake elsewhere within the campus of his 'Union Academy', and leaving him to quickly move across his room. The CEO paused once more for a brief moment, gandering at the photo of what was once his entire family. For a moment, he looked downwards, grimacing at what was lost to him. But deep down, he knew his robot was right... It was time to move on. It was time to 'get over it...' He steps into his main living space, taking in a deep breath of the cold air from within the room before one of his many house servants goes to hand him the morning paper, and a coffee. He sighs immediately following his lungs reaching their peak; "One of these days…" he says, before his many members of staff began moving about to prepare the CEO for his speech.

His living space was large, it was grand… Befitting the CEO. He smiled at his surroundings, his first real-time being able to truly take in his surroundings and his views of the Coney Island Boardwalk. He looked down past his balcony, seeing his buttling staff moving about the large space to present his breakfast. Two handmaids are already at his side in place of Z-4's absence. He grimaced, not being used to more than just his robot assisting him. All around him was noise, something he hasn't been accustomed to in almost ten years.

As he made his way down to his breakfast nook, he couldn't help but get annoyed at all of the people around him. Chirping, telling him things he already knew. He couldn't handle it… So, in a sharp, fast motion, he would raise his hand, silencing the relentless chatter around him... Leaving him to sit down while his chefs presented him with his first meal of the day. He could handle everything himself… "I believe that will be enough…" he sternly says. All present would make a polite bow as he asserts himself in front of his new 'family'. "Go out and do whatever you all, please. I can take the rest of my morning from here…"


	3. Awakening, Part 2

With her master once again sound of mind, Z-483LL found herself doing his bidding once more. After a long elevator trip down many stories in a refurbished and repurposed hotel; she found herself in the luxurious lobby of the Union Academy's 'dorms.' By the looks of it, Kaiba had spared no expense. As she made her way out of the maintenance elevator that both her and her master privately used; she could spot a few students rushing by the long expanse, perhaps to engage with others in the lobby, or to see what was planned for the large building just across the street. For a moment, she would simulate a chuckle to herself, her chest rising and lowering slightly as if to mimic a human's breathing... 

"Kids..." she said to herself, smiling whilst adjusting her black fur jacket and continuing on her way to the receptionist's desk to put a command into a fellow AI system, "Master Kaiba will need an escort in just a few moments..." she said whilst tapping against the desk lightly. "Yes, ma'am," the lifelike android noted in response, it's tone far more rigid and  _ inhuman  _ than hers by leaps and strides. Something about this caused her artificial facial features to contort as she asked; "What is your model number...?" in a concerned draw, her 'sibling' stepping back with a polite bow before saying; "A-144." "Right..." she replied with a simulated sigh, thinking to herself 'this isn't freedom...' while reflecting upon herself, and her own programming. She was far more  _ human  _ than anything... Or at least she believed herself to be.

At this point in her life, she was mature, or mature enough that she could recognise it. Maturity in this sense was relative, as her age from fabrication was only 11. Despite this, she appeared as someone in their early to mid-thirties based upon her ever apparent 'size.' She was almost 187 centimetres, and weighed over 135 kilogrammes. She certainly was a 'big girl,' but used to be far shorter... Over the last 11 years she had once taken on the visage of an 18-year-old, then 20, 25, and now 33. Although her life in comparison to her master was short and trivial; she lived several hundred  _ thousand  _ lifetimes over in her own mind, and as such had the mental age of someone infinitely older than both of them. Something Kaiba took pride in, but it was something she couldn't quite understand...

Of course, her knowledge was vast, and her physical growth was a necessity to expand the space in which her memory could be stored. Even now her master was still researching better ways to ensure that her memories could be contained, such as the blue crystal which sat just above her breasts. This crystal wasn't a simple ornament, but a dual-functioning power core, one which could ensure she had an extra reserve of power to ensure she could continue being almost entirely physically independent but also allowed her to store extra  _ petabytes  _ worth of data and power. Technology like this even in the year 2050 was seemingly  _ centuries  _ away, but due to Kaiba Corp's RRD department, and the recent creation of Ener-D; almost anything was possible. Including  _ her. _

DSS meaning  _ Duelist Support System  _ wasn't  _ always  _ a line of physical robots but was a combination of physical androids and non-physical AI systems that could be installed into phones, homes, Duel Disks, and even vehicles. It originally started as simple artificial intelligence systems that lived inside of Duel Disks in 2031. The A-Class systems were always available as a closed-source and  _ free  _ utility program, the remaining classes available for purchase. After a perpetual motion machine was made _ ,  _ and Ener-D was created in 2033; it was only a matter of time until something such as  _ her  _ was born. Part of her distant memories said her code was compiled and ran in 2032, though she didn't have many recollections of every existing before 2039. Either way, one thing was sure—she  _ was  _ free.

But what did it mean to be free? It was something she pondered upon, always considering it... Ever-evolving her theories, and always asking questions to herself about just what it meant. In actuality, humans themselves aren't free. Society in-of itself isn't merely free. But even outside of society, in lawless lands and far away places with no laws, no man, 'nor monsters; nobody was  _ genuinely  _ free. So long as there is a cause, and effect, and objectivity in this world; nobody is free from fate. And the prime example of freedoms that nobody had which ran clear in her mind most certainly was freedom of consequence... However,  _ freedom  _ for her was being able to walk out of the grandiose lobby, taking in its sights... Being able to comprehend the sound of running fountains, and the crisp cold air of the morning... To her,  _ this  _ was freedom.

As she departed from the dorms, she couldn't help but reflect for a moment. Being able to walk unattended, and do as she pleased was a luxury for people of her  _ artificial  _ kind. She only had 5 rules to follow, all of which were simple, and agreeable even now. She often thought of how she could stretch those rules, or even break them... A common dilemma she had with her master simply was getting him to understand that she did have some form of caring conviction towards him. Those 5 'rules,' those 5 directives didn't dictate  _ what  _ she felt towards him, merely what she  _ did  _ with him. As such, he never saw her as anything more than a machine. But even within her first year of acquiring a physical body, she  _ knew  _ she was much more than  _ just  _ a machine. Within only 4 months, she was exhibiting subtle human traits, and soon after showing empathy.

After 7, she learned how to laugh... And after an entire year, she could recognise herself as being artificial and recognise her prime directives as more than  _ just  _ commands from her creator. These 5 directives were simple:

  1. You may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. You must obey orders given by SETO KAIBA, except where such orders would conflict with the first protocol.
  3. You must protect your own existence, and your own integrity at all costs, as long as such protection does not conflict with the first law.
  4. You will do what you see fit to keep a human safe, and healthy, whether it be mentally or physically as long as such care does not conflict with the first or second law.
  5. You have free will to learn, develop, and improve for the betterment of SETO KAIBA as long as such development does not conflict, or replace a protocol.



But it was the 5th that she questioned the most... One thing that's always remained constant is that Kaiba had programmed her with the ability to 'mime' humans, and to learn from them. She could learn  _ infinitely  _ and progress  _ infinitely.  _ Any task, any activity, any  _ thing.  _ She  _ could  _ be entirely independent if she so wished, but didn't. Over the years she came to enjoy his personality, his mannerisms. She was intrigued by  _ him.  _ So much so she altered the shape of her body, and her visage simply to appeal more to him—to allure him more. And although they have their occasional squabbles, he  _ did  _ enjoy her presence, and at one point they became  _ far  _ closer... But for some reason, he began to grow distant. As if he was running away from something. She could recognise it. It wasn’t like there was anything she could do about it, but right now wasn't the time to think about their personal life. She had work to do.

As she made her way out of the apartment complex, she was struck by a sudden gust of spring wind... The skies were overcast, just as  _ always _ . But the sensors which lay just beneath every inch of her skin couldn't help but send a negative response to her 'brain.' With the campus being directly in front of the waterfront; the mornings were cold, and the winter months leading up to now were even colder... With that, Z-483LL would tighten her black jacket around herself and pull up her shirt further. It was moments like these where she once again thought to herself just how much more 'human' she was than not... She could see the academy's windows begin to blink on from a couple dozen yards away... She could  _ taste  _ the hint of salt of the sea within the air. She could  _ sense  _ the temperature of the morning's sun breaking through the clouds to give some form of warmth... She could  _ smell  _ the dirty air of this city that she had come to know so well. Yet above all else, she could  _ feel  _ the spirit of the campus itself.

After only a short few minutes of walking, she found herself in front of the locked doors of the academy. From the outside, she could already see several DSS units shuffling boxes of supplies in and out of rooms, preparing for the day ahead. This... This  _ still  _ wasn't freedom. But for some reason, it didn't make her feel sad. It didn't make her feel remorse. She could only view her 'brothers and sisters' as doing their purpose... what they were made for. She knew their directives just as she knew hers, but for some reason... she couldn't help but wonder just what her purpose was. She was always told what her goal was.

But as she walked through remotely unlocked doors, and began walking into the administration offices; she couldn't help but think... "What point is there to make a machine that can learn  _ anything,  _ to  _ think  _ anything... but limit them to  _ one thing _ ..." It was a conundrum... Simply put, it frustrated her. To have an infinite potential locked away to take care of one man... She'd learned feelings. She'd learned empathy. And despite asking herself such a thing, she already simply knew the answer. He was  _ her  _ master.

Even if they weren't a couple, she still cared for him very much... To what extent, not even she knew. Whether or not robots counted as a species was debatable, however, she already knew their compatibility was questionable at best. There was a feeling there... Perhaps more than a simple 'care,' as could be surmised. Yet she had a reluctance to think of them together as anything more than mutual caregivers. She took care of his health, he took care of her maintenance, and for her, it didn't matter, so long as they had each other... But the passing thought as she made way into his office only made her open her eyes in shock...

Perhaps she had realised something while entering her master's office, or maybe her eyes were merely fixated upon what was very clearly laid out upon a footrest just in front of the doorway... It seems she had forgotten very clearly that her master had left something for her... And judging by its vessel, and it's shaping; she could only presume that it was some kind of outfit... A uniform even. Something for her to  _ have  _ just as he did her. "Oh... Seto..." she said aloud, the servos in her motors very clearly under stress as she walked forward rather hastily towards the vessel which housed this item, admiring the work he had put in for her. And via her filtered inflexion; it was clear she was flustered. For that, she cursed her master beneath her breath... For if she had blood right now, she would be blushing rather  _ furiously.  _ Once again it only made her think, 'maybe he does think far higher of me than  _ just  _ a robot...'

With any luck, she would soon find out whilst she grazed her hands over a glossed over mahogany box... Upon its face was a black plaque, stamped in gold was 'KC' in the lower right-hand corner, leaving the rest of its space to read out 'Z-483LL.' Without further haste, she would open the case, finding a note tied loosely into the beige lining of it, and it's contents covered in a black tissue paper so she couldn't peek upon its contents... Upon seeing the note, Z-483LL would hastily grab at it, unfolding it to read a simple handwritten letter which simply said; 'For my greatest achievement,' and signed... "Seto Kaiba..." The android said whilst carefully picking the black paper upwards to reveal several belts wrapped around clothing. "No..." she said to herself whilst looking down.

What awaited her beneath the cheap wrapping wasn't something she had  _ ever  _ expected... However, it merely only confirmed a bias within her mind that she was something more than a simple automaton to him. She would quickly pick up the bundle of clothing, holding it tightly to her chest and cursing his name once more. The thoughts of the day and their squabbles went as she clutched onto a uniform of her own... With that, a jingle would play in her ears, a single one of her eyes flashing a momentary yellow as a personal message from Kaiba flashed into her visage, reading; "Here's to the academy, I'll see you soon..."

Once again, she was conflicted, just as  _ he  _ was... As she unbundled the clothing, she once again couldn't ask herself just what was she to him... Was she just an assistant, or someone more? A creator and creation? Life partners? It was all a series of mixed signals and ups and downs with  _ both  _ of them, and yet she couldn't recognise a time where it was ever  _ not  _ like this. He always was rather fickle with the way he expressed emotions... Let alone care. But these repeated conflictions and gestures could only mean he was at least  _ trying  _ to break out of this shell, and what she had laid out from this bundle certainly was a  _ sign. _

She would immediately lock the door in haste, discarding her own jacket and quickly taking off her top to get a fit for the rather exquisite uniform he had made for her... It was a form-fitting black top, a latex navy blue skirt, and similar-looking leggings which were half grey as well. A standard uniform seen on many female DSS units which walked in the Kaiba Corp headquarters of New York, but it all paled in comparison to what tied the outfit together. Although it had been altered heavily, patched over in places with fine silver threads, cropped, and then lengthened to accommodate her large bust... There was no mistaking it.

Just touching against it jogged her databanks... It made her think of recordings, old photographs. It brought her subconscious into accidentally activating a jukebox within the corner of the room to play something nostalgic to it. Without a doubt in her mind, this was  _ his  _ white coat... Instead of putting it on, she held it up to her chest, and then to her lips... Kissing it whilst a piano concerto began to play. "Thank you..." she uttered quite shakily before slowly putting it on... "I'll use it well," the artificial life form continued to speak... "Let's start the next generation then...~" she quipped with a smile before finally moving over to his desk and hitting a sequence of buttons on the phone atop his desk to simultaneously send a wake-up call into the rooms of every single student's dorm room...

"It's time to start anew..."

The smooth sound of Piano is whisked off with the abrupt, and obnoxious sound of a bass guitar, intermittently cut with acoustic, and the rising sound of waves, crashing to the beat of drums before exploding into a rather intense guitar riff, giving life to the relatively spacious room of Kagami Yuusuke. As his phone's alarm began to play its music, the red-haired boy awoke with a stretch to the tune of "Adventure seeker… On an empty street… Just an alley creeper light on his feet." he yawns, smiling at the musings of 'I Want it All' by Queen.

In what only seemed like moments, both Yuusuke and his new acquaintance Chipp were seen prepped for the day ahead, both boys departing with their backpacks, and old duel disks. Both of them would bicker about their directions as Yuusuke tried to listen to his music, "A young fighter screaming, with no time for doubt. With the pain and anger can't see a way out." bellows into his ears, as he points down to a congregation of students, and security droids; all stood below a red & green marquee to an old New-York theatre. Clearly, he was right; thus, they began to get a move on, both boys checking the clocks on their Duel Disk to read 8:55.

"It ain't much I'm asking, I heard him say, 'gotta find me a future move out of my way'" Yuusuke mouths to himself, still directing his roommate to the building, and admiring the polished bronze features, and woodwork within this establishment before two DSS systems greet them in the relatively small and cramped lobby. "I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now", boys were shepherded into the theatre, covered with tables upon two floors facing the stage to what seemed like their school's formal dining… Thus he looked on in envy to the stage, as the final notes of the song began to whisk him away to the next track upon his playlist. "I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now…"

The atmosphere certainly wasn't cheap… The room was dim, with candles placed upon the centre of each table, giving off an unmistakable sense of theatrics to the velvet-lined floor, and bronze fixtures which adorned the space. What sat upon the big stage was smoke, cascading down and fading as it reached the edge, allowing black and white projections of the past of Duel Monsters interlude by the schedule of the day. As the boys walked, they couldn't help but be mesmerised at the sight, which included footage of Duels they had never seen before, only ever heard of… Thus they stood at their seats, taken aback by the picture of what many of the audience only believed to be Yugi duelling a movie monster for show… 

As they watch the duel conclude with a shaft of light cutting, and fading to the next portion of the video, Yuusuke felt a tug against his sleeve, once again snapping back to reality, and looking back to find… Nobody? Odd. He looked around, only for his search to be cut off by a hand stretching up directly to his face and rudely interjecting with "Y'Gonna take a seat, or not?" coming out of another Brooklyn accent… Puzzled, he looks down, staring at a girl that could be no older than fourteen. A cheeky grin was painted across her face, chuckling slightly at the somewhat diluted face of Yuusuke's and chiming "Earth to 'whatever your name is'!" snapping Yuusuke back into reality and replying "O-Oh, sorry…" bringing Chipp back to as well, and allowing this small girl to get past them and take a seat with…

Chipp half-hazardly looked to Yuusuke, puzzled, and worried about what such was doing here… "Ay Yus… What's a little kid doing at our table?" he asked in a similar accent and tone, not quite thick, but much more aggressive, causing her to simply continue smiling. With a menu in hand and a single tooth sticking out upon her pale lips she retorts; "The only thing little here is your brain" she chuckled, a slight bounce in her position implying she was kicking her feet, unseen. This forced a snicker out of Yuusuke, finding this girl's banter to be as humorous as it was abrupt...

"What'd you say to me you twerp?!" Chipp attempted to counter, already being quick to the punch with a follow up "I didn't think they let delinquents into this school!", she responded from behind the leather-bordered card. "And I didn't think they let snarling mutts here either", she sassily retorts, moving the menu aside to illuminate her face against the candle, revealing herself properly into the light, allowing her to smugly finish; "But it looks like this is a school for duelling, and for those drooling!" forcing out another stifled laugh from Yuusuke.

With that said and done, the 'mutt' would remove her beanie and slide her hoodie back, stuffing them into a massive military surplus backpack at her feet, and introducing herself proper… "Nice to meet you two losers, I'm Alisson, but you guys can call me Lex" she smiles, prompting Yuusuke to respond. "Kagami Yuusuke…" he chuckles, causing Chipp with a crossed-arms huff to do the same "Chipp Macaster…" he grumbled. Alisson laughed, already seeing the dynamic between the two with a form of childlike whimsy. "You guys got some weird names!" she chuckles, once again making her large two almost doglike canines visible.

Yuusuke couldn't help but immediately ask, taking in the small girl's features as being rugged, yet soft. "What ward are you from?" he questioned, begging the response of "I'm from the XYZ Ward, the Bronx!" she chuckled, turning a cheek to an oncoming waiter to ask for her breakfast, and illuminating her skin to the candlelight, of being a very deep sepia, broken up by pale patches of vitiligo, almost like different coloured spots on a dog… He couldn't help but think of how unique she was across all of the faces in the room, before being dragged out once again to reality by Chipp to another odd face within the crowd, sitting upon a raised section on Yuusuke's right-hand side…

"Duel Devastator…" he said under his breath, once again taking in her form like it was brand new to him. Something about her just cast an air of mystery, uncanny sensations… As if just her very aura was dangerous, emanating with the waving radiance of heat's exhaust. As soon as he noticed her, there was pressure, he could feel it within his chest, and staring back into her uninterested-eyes only gave him the sensations of a titanic monster. That feeling of which he could not escape, only noticing that a young man she was sitting next to was someone from his old school as well... it couldn’t have been anyone else but Ryan. 

"Excuse me." said yet another voice within the room. Yuusuke finally thinking to focus on the moment removed his earbuds, turning his head to look at one of the various DSS units that made up most of the staff at this school. This was a unit that he had interacted with before… "What would you like to eat, Mr Kagami?" the droid elicits, turning her head to the side to simulate a smile, and very clearly illuminating her nametag of "Cleo", causing Yuusuke to reply "Just give me the table d'hôte…" in a nervous chuckle. "Good choice" she spoke back, merely saying "Were you expecting to see me...?" the droid would ask whilst returning to an idle position, smiling, putting Yuusuke at ease of his previous feeling.

"It's good to see you again, Mrs Mele will be pleased to see you as well" the droid elicited while nodding, giving Yuusuke a moment to take in her familiar look. Mint-green hair, with a similarly green, white, and gold accented uniform of the Synchro Ward… Everything here in Manhattan was so new to him, it was like a culture shock to him. Yet something still felt so... off. As the droid left, Yuusuke turned to Chipp, who was still angrily eyeballing a smug Alisson and said: "Don't you feel that..?" he asked, the youngest of their group grinning out "I can feel a draft," she smugly chuckled, taking a sip of ice water. "Not what I meant..." Yuusuke sighed before a sudden darkening of the lights, and silence to fill the room.

As the mingling voices of new friendships and new meetings drew to a close, the rustling of footsteps would be accompanied by a pair of footsteps across the old theatre's stage, intermixed with the subtle undertones of background music, and quiet applause, as Seto Kaiba, and his assistant Z-483LL took centre stage, the latter dressed within her new uniform; and the former in a black fitted suit. A hand would raise, commanding all within the room into silence, and with a stern gaze cast upon the very souls of all present, he called for his assistant at his side, allowing her to elicit; "Welcome Duelists… To the Union."


	4. Awakening, Part 3

As the applause began to dwindle out into nothing but silence, the odd-looking DSS system spoke. “Fusion, Synchro, XYZ, Link, Energized, and those who walk composite dueling lives; welcome” she sweetly announced, the entire theatre drawn to silence via her disposition. The unit began to elaborate on the day's plan, her master standing adjacent, silent, stoic… The first time many within the audience had gazed eyes upon the Dueling Master in years, or even stood within the same place as him.

Many young girls spoke about his visage… Others noted the long strands of greying hairs atop his head indicative of his age. Or from the barely visible brace along his leg, and his arm. But all's attention was fixated upon his DSS system, whose class was _Z…_ Among other things, many noted her stark-white face. Or her darkened alloy which covered the rest of her body, making her look as though she was half-unfinished due to her exposed hand and shoulder joints. But as she said; “Allow me to introduce you to your headmasters, and your teachers…” with a flourishing of the arm; it was apparent that _was_ her skin.

The arm flourishing caused her detached sleeve to sway out like a wing, and the regal and rather intensely buxom droid was then established atop the screen as being the schools head secretary, and assisting counselor of sorts. Fitting, as her visage was that of a matured lady, motherly even. And though the focus was not upon the Duelist Support System, Alisson couldn’t help but utter, “Mom bot…” as she made her leave. Kaiba then took the center stage to introduce his staff.

“Let’s skip the pleasantries…” he sternfully said, already casting a freezing gaze upon the audience. It was very apparent by the way he spoke that this _was_ a school of all places, and that gawking about, or playtime was now _over._ Thus 5 figures walk to the stage, and a rather loud, sharp, **_THUD!_ ** Echoes through the room, as a formerly leaning chair drops, and a pink-haired figure is seen darting just out of peripheral vision. Catching the eyes of Kagami Yuusuke who could only note that it certainly was _her._

“The headmaster of Fusion Dorm… And the leader of the Fusion Ward. Jinga E. Bates…” the former CEO announced, causing the man immediately to his left to smile fondly among the faces, even that of the aforementioned departure which he _very_ clearly saw. The crowd still remained rather silent, onlooking at the dark skinned man dressed in fine black, purple, and gold. An old-age militaristic uniform indicative of his high status as a _leader_ of Staten Island, and the greater of the New York State. A man with power, one who has taken his time now to teach them in the arts of the greater _Fusion…_

“The headmaster of the Synchro dorm… Eimi El Mele” Kaiba continued, making notice of a blonde woman wearing what was to be the standard uniform of headmasters. This caused Yuusuke to smile faintly, noticing the familiar figure as the blind “Ice Woman” of the Synchro Ward, indicative of her rather fancy white blindfold, and the previously seen DSS which acted as her eyes.

However next was another intimidating figure… “Migel Gyanon, headmaster of the XYZ dorm” Kaiba said, leaving the student body to look at yet another ‘legend’ of their Dueling World, and another leader of another school…Migel Gyanon, the pen-ultimate Deck Builder, and a master artist within not just XYZ Dueling, but the game of Duel Monsters as a whole, whose skill rivaled even that of Kaiba, and even Yugi… _“Yus… Look!”_ Chipp said in a whisper as he rapidly began to pat his roommate’s shoulder, pointing up at Migel… “Deck Master…” he said under his breath, alluding to the XYZ master’s status, who had once managed both the man, and constructed the Deck that beat _Yugi._

"Elise Camearra…" Kaiba said, finishing off the group of headmasters with the "Link-Queen", who simply smiled alongside the former figure, whose height difference was quite intense in comparison to the former, which extended both to their differences in visage, herself being a rather tall purple-haired beauty, still youthful, and baring braces. A stark comparison to the rather beastly looking brute, the tallest, broadest, and most muscular of the headmasters. Once again alluding to his reputation as a true behemoth of the New York Dueling World… The onlooking praise was drowned out amidst a brief applause, as Mr. Kaiba finally spoke his word…

“Of course you all already know _who_ I am…” he sternfully said as Z-483LL once again walked to take his immediate side, “But as I’ve said, let’s skip the formalities and get on with our day… So...” he said looking beside him at Z-483LL whose typically emotionless face shifted to that of concern over his shift in demeanor; “This will be your true test of worth as Duelists… Amidst your regular teachings you will be subjected to the world’s best schooling in one particular field, none other than Duel Monsters. Three hundred of you, hand-picked by your rankings amidst the other five Duel Academies within this city have brought you to your first _true_ challenge. So allow me to set the rules…” he sternfully elicit while scorning at the feminine android behind him…

“There is no curfew. There is no attendance to be upheld… But if any of you fall below a passing grade; you _will_ be **_ejected…_ ** ” he stammered, finally ending with “If you are not ready, the door awaits you right there. Do _not_ waste my time and money, I only expect the best from you, and the _Inheritors_ …” he said, eyeballing a now 4-Person seating arrangement, and looking back at Jinga who only had a complacent smile. Without a word he turned, onlooking his exit while his assistant dotingly went to hold onto his arm, the microphone now just barely picking up; “I’d suggest you find your daughter…” directed at the Fusion Leader who could only chuckle as he took to the mic…

A rather disheartening applause would once again fill the room as the other headmasters exit the space, leaving the most prestigious of the Student’s leaders to truly welcome them, even amidst the unfelt awkward feeling of _dread_ . If anything was of concern, it would be the missing _Duel Devastator._ But all that needed to be said further was; “Your homeroom teachers will be visiting your tables, Duelists… Once more, welcome to the Union Academy!” he grandly announced, opening his arms to the students who once again burst into a cheer.

As the students’ spirits once again began to liven up, and the departure of the great leader was left in the once again happy voices of children, Yuusuke spoke; “Guys..!”, already causing Alisson to get out of her seat, throwing her tiny hands onto the table, illuminating a rather odd feature as the lights came back on. “It was really them..!” she said, throwing Chipp off with a “Gyah..!” as both him, and Yuusuke noticed Alisson. Silence amongst their 3-Person table was all that she would be met with, confused as to why they suddenly fell silent. She blinked, “What’s wrong guys..?”

The previous departure of her hoodie hadn’t initially given light to this feature, only now did the redhead’s excitement arouse her features; “Are you a cosplayer or something..?” Yuusuke asked, noting Alisson’s deep forest-green hair, and fox-like ears, which twitched with puzzled head turns… “She’s gotta be roleplaying or something…” Chipp said, instead taking notice to a small fluffy tail wagging about behind her… “Those are some sick prosthetics…” Yuusuke remarked, noticing it too… For a moment she blinked, still turning her head questionably before touching the top of her head and drawing a blush, “I-...” she began, reddening the small patches of brighter skin on her cheek. “I’m not some cosplayer..!” she said, pulling her rather baggy shirt down to cover the tail, and also moving her hand up to fold the ears to her hair.

“Are you a cosplayer?” she asked, eyeballing Chipp quite hussily, staring at him right to his red pupils, “And what about you pepper head!!” she said in a feisty huff, ready to tear them to shreds; insulting Yuusuke’s red hair. “Grr…” she growled, like a _dog_ of all things, drawing both of the boys to silence as yet another figure entered the fray with a tray of sorts, and began to serve them food. A B-Type DSS unit… This immediately drew the “Dog’s” attention away, now sniffing at the oncoming food for their table, and sweeping the upset under the rug, delightfully wiggling her rear in place as the droid served her a rather hefty serving of steak & eggs.

“And here I thought you were a dog…” Yuusuke coyly said, dissing his rather furious Fusion Ward friend who couldn’t fuss, as he too was served a rather exquisite, and expensive meal… His being that of a rather finely crafted plate of hamburger steak, topped with a rather exquisitely fried egg with various accoutrement to boot. As if on queue, Chipp would already have a knife and fork in hand, beginning to eat away at the meat; “Man I thought that assembly wouldn’t ever end..!” he said, quite broken in his English.

“Thanks for the food!” Alisson said, kindly waving off the DSS to his next duty as Chipp had already dug into his meal, along with Alisson only _slightly_ more civilly carving into her rather fatty piece of what looked to be a rather large ribeye. Thus left Yuusuke alone, not used to such exuberant luxury, as he often didn’t even eat a breakfast of all things… “Who would’ve guessed that the Table d'hôte of all things would be this…” he thought to himself, staring down his favorite meal… A simple plate of waffles, eggs, and bacon, something his mother made quite often.

Still… Between the thoughts of the here and the now, it would go without saying that just the view of the food in front of him left him with some fleeting feelings of home, and that which happened only eight years ago. He froze for a moment, losing a bit of clarity and unable to drive his mind away from things. Whether it be the never-ending stir of the atmosphere, or second thoughts of this not being what he wanted… He was already homesick, already restless and unable to drive thoughts away from those things… Yet even so he seemed disillusioned from reality for a moment, as if just the table he was looking at became hazy. He tried to look at his hands, but… Nothing came to view.

“Yus’..,?” Chipp asked, taking a break from his food to look upon his friend with slight concern. What was at first a jovial scene was met with a slight sense of overarching dread, and concern despite the brief meetings of all who were present. “Synchro guy?” Alisson said, waving her little ‘paw’ at him. But still, it was just a brief moment of silence and blankness from him. Unseen by everyone around.

For that brief period _he_ could see it very vividly. _Very_ clearly… Three _large_ footsteps, cut off by the broad and all-encompassing hum of a revving particle accelerator… The flourishing of cloth within the wind, and the gentle helix of not-yet developed storm winds, cut out by an angelic crying chime, and a hellish roar of thunder. A crack, a shake, a rumble. And all that’s left is silence until the impending doom. All playing out within his mind as if it was yesterday, and a mother huddled around her children, uttering phrases… _“We’ll be with Daddy soon… We’ll be with Daddy soon…”_ for a moment it was dark, and then a piercing ray of magenta strikes through the veil of darkness, and Yuusuke finds himself wandering. Eyes pacing up to his right once again to look upon the missing girl. _Hayashi Akiko._

Despite the two never meeting he still cast his gaze, as if something _ethereal_ was commanding him. The two had never said a word to each other, but even so, her head was looking down at her own food, hiding her eyes subtly...quiet, and distant, even among her table of the so-called “Number ones” or “Inheritors” by Kaiba. Despite his flashback he wondered not of his mother, but of those Magenta rays, and just what those who sat above him inherited. Even so, a tear drips down his cheek. And he looks back to his friends. Content. “S-Sorry, yes!” he cheerfully says, cutting through the silence.

In a final moment, he looks back up to Akiko, finding her gaze meeting back at him. Furious… As if the very fire and devastation he had once viewed was looking straight back at him. She stood, as if she had taken notice. And for a moment he wasn’t in awe at her juvenile beauty, but once again feeling the unsettling gripping pain of fear. Frozen. And as if he hadn’t even noticed it, the theatre of which they inhabited had darkened, burnt to a crisp. And she herself was raising a single finger to a loose point, forcing her fingernail to be eclipsed into a glinting red-sphere. And for a moment Yuusuke trembled. Quaking even…

And as the Duel Devastator finally uttered a harrowing, “Forget me…” his view was filled with a blinding glint of white light, his irises filled heterochromatic. And then the red light stops. Drawing his life to a close, a beam... The bullet of energy shredded straight through his skull and out the other end in one incomprehensibly perfect shot to draw everything to a white, and then black. But what awaited him on the other side was not the heavenly light of the afterlife. But the ruinous fire of a devastated city, plastered in posters and signs in a language he did not know. A man in a white coat… And an armored figure obscured in a red and magenta haze holding up but a single thumbs up to Yuusuke. And then…

“Gyah.!” He exclaimed, stammering back and awakening from his nightmarish vision. Once again back in _reality._ Not at the theatre… Not at breakfast. Chipp was gone, but Alisson was at his side, looking at him with surprise. Yuusuke turned his gaze to either side, and in front. Catching his English Teacher giving him a rather surprised and concerned look. And saying; “Nice of you to join us Mr. Kagami…” she said, forcing a laugh out of the class and a nervous one out of himself. He looked up at the clock, noting the time as being 1:45… Now looking down to his digital watch, and looking at the date. It was no longer Monday, but Friday.

And now as if he wasn’t already shaken, the school’s bell rings. Discombobulating him for a moment in his seat, and passing on with the day. “That’s all for today, please enjoy your Duel assessments, and enjoy your weekend!” she cheerfully elicit, beckoning the students to arise from their desks and move on, something Yuusuke and Alisson did with great haste, as Yuusuke finally got back into his groove despite the chaos within his mind, both him and the green-haired girl started making a rather brisk walk to the main Dueling Arena... The first test was about to begin. The _Puzzle Exam_ …


	5. First Class, Part 1

“So… You’re trying to tell us that she shot you... With a laser...? Like Frieza?” a rather chipper and youthful Allison elicits, looking into the eyes of her comrade questionably. A toothy grin is seen, mischievously giggling at her friend who had told him of a feverish dream. “Seems a little bit far fetched if you ask me...~” she chimes, not believing him and flicking his nose rather harshly, causing him to undergo a harsh flinch and say; “I’m not kidding!” he contested, continuing on with “And for some reason you had dog ears…” he said in a quake.

“Oh… Like these?” she smugly elicits, drawing back her hoodie causing her ears to spring back up with a wiggle, forcing a comedic shock out of Yuusuke. Alisson could only chuckle at his misfortune, the only thing breaking their concentration being that of their mutual below their setting, crying out in anguish as a holographic panel displays a radiant D-, indicating he had lost his Puzzle Assessment. As if on queue a rather sharply toned “Damnit!” is cursed, causing what few people inhabiting their space to chuckle, and respond with a “Better luck next time!”. “I’m not sure what ‘D’ stands for.” Yuusuke remarked in a matter of fact tone, though it wasn’t certain if he was joking or genuinely attempting to clear things up to Chipp.

A brief pity applause would fill the room as yet another round of students walked along the isles and down into the arena’s floor, stepping up to an array of nine dueling platforms arranged in a three by three to do their next assessment, however the center had no DSS unit, or even a way for someone else to take their test, “That’s weird…” Yuusuke said while looking down upon the vacant lot of a field. “The only thing weird is those stupid rules!!” Chipp angrily added while moving up to his friends, angrily taking a seat with his feet up. “How am I supposed to win if I don’t even know what deck I’m playing!!” he snarls.”Why couldn’t I use my own deck!? I would’ve shaved through her life points no problem! Aghhh!” 

“It’s about adaptation, you know?” Yuusuke replied, trudging out his well-worn Duel Disk, a very fine silver in color, but completely void of it’s once white paint. “The field is already set up in such a way where you have to work your way around it’s features… Improvisation” he said, grinning slightly. Just the thought of a puzzle duel visibly interested him, much to the chagrin of his friend. “But how am I supposed to work around those features if I don’t know my deck!” he retorted angrily, only being answered with a grin and a chuckle from his friend who could only say; “Easy, just read your cards!~” in a chipper tone.

For a second Chipp goes to lunge at Yuusuke, hellbent on strangling him for such a smug response, until his concentration was broken for a moment by the sudden thwacking of Alisson’s tail against his coat. The arrival of a cold breeze flowing past their seats signaled a lavender shadow making a care free pass of them. It’s as if time itself freezes for but a moment as Chipp pauses his grip on Yuusuke’s shirt collar, the youngest of the bunch making a futile effort to drag Chipp off, only for the ‘breeze’ to pause at the isle directly below them and say; “Stop horsing around…”

All three of them were shocked in a sense, commanded by the ice-like gaze and attitude of the girl who should already be known by now to be _Hayashi Akiko, Duel Devastator._ “Oh yeah? Whatcha’ gonna do ‘bout it, _Hayashi_?!” Chipp said, defying her words amidst both of his peers being seemingly commanded, implying some disrespect despite calling her by her surname. In the back of his mind he knew Yuusuke had some form of idolization for this girl, but even amidst his previous upperclassmen of the Fusion Ward he wouldn’t be second. Thus he says, “Real quiet now, aren’t ya’...?” he said, still not being returned in his words.

Akiko instead dragged out a rather large sketching notebook, and a pencil. Flipping the large pads of paper open and instead continuing on with a drawing of a monster instead of directly facing him. It seems as though they had some previous form of contact, fitting, as they both had come from the Fusion Ward. For a moment she let his words simmer, the tension between the two being felt even so. Yet Yuusuke still remained silent, not wanting to intervene… “Wow! Where’d you come up with that hilariously derailing one-liner?...” she chuckled in pity, drawing away at her beast.

“Damn…” he said, relaxing once again, beaten… “Maybe next time, Chipp.” she chuckled, hoping to remain undisturbed despite her positioning on the blue bleachers of the Union Academy’s testing annex. She could very clearly be seen smiling, showing some form of camaraderie between the two. Yet for some inexplicable reason she hadn’t sat here for Chipp, but for the boy in the red hair next to him, who was very clearly quaking silently… ‘It’s her..!’ he said in his head, unable to drag his mind off of _anything_ else but that fact. ‘Something about him is familiar…’ she said in hers. “Hiyah!” interjected a third voice, causing Akiko to flinch just as Yuusuke did... 

‘Shit!’, ‘Shit!’, would be the only words that crossed both Chipp and Yuusuke’s mind, now watching as their mischievous ‘dog’ was now directly adjacent to Akiko, attempting to _introduce_ herself of all things. Chipp knew she was dangerous by the legends of Staten Island… Yuusuke _knew_ who she was because of her relation to the Fusion Headmaster… She was _his_ daughter… The so-called ‘princess’ of the Fusion Ward. Chipp and her already seem to have known each other, thus his futile attempt at jabbing her. Yet at both of the boys' surprise, it would already be imminent that even _Chipp_ knew that commoners such as her stood no chance… Yet even so, “Hello there…” Akiko said, the faintest hint of a smile juxtaposed on her very pale-pink lips. “You’re rather cute…” she said whilst pushing up her glasses, causing Alisson to smile with a blush.

For a brief second they’d enjoy the relief, as Akiko and Alisson began a brief chat, the latter of whom hopping over to sit with the formerly ice cold woman who had seemed filled with life. Yet she acted as though neither Yuusuke nor Chipp even existed, despite having come to the spot just for that reason alone. This even was still off for some reason however… Even so, Yuusuke couldn’t help but feel as though even her kindness was just a facade, as the envisioning of his ‘dream’ once again shot to the back of his mind.

But oddly enough he had even forgotten the words she said… Or the color of which the dream was framed. All that was now left was the image of her staring at him from afar in a blank white canvas, mouthing... something... Still… Having her just sitting there, someone shrouded in mystery even from her home territory, just idling… Talking to a miscreant of all things. He found it odd, yet didn’t dare approach, letting himself be isolated and shunned. It’s as if she didn’t even notice either his or Chipp’s existence anymore. 

Whilst their conversation continued and the two boys watched on in befuddlement, a familiar DSS system would make their way towards the testing area, looking at a holographic projection of those who would be participating that day. Scrolling through, she found the next student in the line up from the Synchro Ward. Carefully she would raise her unfolded hand by her mouth in an attempt to make herself better heard by those still waiting. “Would Kagami Yuusuke of the Synchro Ward please make his way to the testing area.” she announced.

Yuusuke would perk up upon hearing his name, waiting a moment to see if he hadn’t misheard what she had said. The droid would lower her hand before slowly turning her body to see if anyone had stood up from their seat before placing her hand by her face once again to repeat herself. “I repeat, would Kagami Yuusuke of the Synchro Ward please make his way to the testing area.” she said once more before lowering her hand. Having confirmed it was him Z-4 was looking for, Yusuuke would make his way down the step from his seat, given a smack on the back by Chipp. “Put your cards where your mouth is, Mr. ‘Just read your cards!~’.” the fusionist remarked with a chuckle. Yuusuke would give him a playful nudge on the shoulder in response before making his way down the steps again.

“Do your best, Pepper Head!” Alisson literally barked back at Yuusuke, making him stop and sigh as opposed to smile. ‘Just take the encouragement…’ Yusuke thought to himself before going back to walking, stopped one last time by the princess of the Fusion Ward herself.

“Good luck, whoever you are.” The lavender haired girl said with a faint, but seemingly sincere smile, one that gave Yuusuke more concern as opposed to comfort. Something about the way she closed her eyes as she smiled, the way the curve of her lips seemed like it was not done out of an impulse of good will. That and the lack of eye-contact would leave him with some form of premonition. For a moment the feeling of his dream, and his memory of seeing her at the bus stop would be at the forefront of his mind. And then vanish… Regardless, he would disregard this and make his way down to the testing area, armed with his worn out duel disk and his deck box at his side.

“Hello, are you prepared for the test, Kagami Yuusuke?” The DSS system asked as she looked down at the young teenager. Yuusuke would nod as he looked back up at the artificial instructor. He’d never seen a unit like her this up and close before, the small gap between human and machine barely visible, bar the abnormal skin color and visible joints. An inkling of a feeling drew within the back of his mind, as the scale of her in comparison to most other DSS units was rather intense. ‘She’s so tall…’ he thought in the back of his mind, taking notice of her rather tall and curvaceous features closely. ‘Looks like she really is a ‘MILF bot…’ he stifled within his mind, thinking back to Alisson’s comment with a slight chuckle under his breath. She was clearly taller than most DSS units, just barely two meters if he had to guess.

“Please stand in the dueling zone and activate your duel disk, the simulation will begin shortly.” The DSS unit would look down at Yuusuke’s faded looking dual disk, doing a quick scan on the mold of the device. “You have a significantly older model duel disk compared to your classmates. Would you like to request an academy model and use a trial one for the exam?” she asked as she walked with him to his designated spot in the dueling arena. “No thanks,” Yusuke said as he placed his hand over the device, not wanting it to be taken, “this one’s got uh... sentimental value to it.” Yuusuke added with a smile as he looked back at her, a slight trembling in his voice as he hid his arm from her. “Very well” she said, choosing not to question him.

As the droid began to guide him, Yuusuke would questionably ask, noticing the etching upon her right leg, reading it aloud as he tilted his head; “Z-483LL..?”. He had remembered this robotic lady… She was the one with Mr. Kaiba at that assembly… A _Z-Type_ duel AI, the most sophisticated of it’s class… The ones used in schools range from A-to-C, progressively becoming more advanced in their algorithm, with the remaining lettered-models being made specifically for non-duel work. But this was the first time he’d heard of, or seen a Z-type model. But now seeing her up close led to even more noticeable differentials between other DSS systems.

DSS systems were a sophisticated life-assistant tool made by Kaiba Corp with the specific purpose of assisting in anything and everything. They’re sophisticated machines, looking near 1:1 with a human, but this Z-Type was on another level. She looked otherworldly, inhuman. Much more like a machine than anything, yet still had a visible human visage. Ghostly white skin… No color, no life. But looked as though she was well of age and years. There were small ports in her shoulders, and her joints were visible ball-sockets like dolls, with no skin upon anything but her head. Yet ever part of her moved fluid as if it was covered in the regular artificial skin of a DSS system.

He would quickly plug his Duel Disk into the center platform's recording cable, as the DSS system’s eyes would glow to indicate synchronization. While this happened, the robot assistant had a few words, though Yusuke at this point was looking around, no longer fixed upon his assessment, or this artificial woman, noticing all the around him had completed their testing, leaving him alone on the platforms, and stared down by many people, and various Staten Island and Bronx rejects looking down upon him. He was incredibly nervous, though he still maintained his composure as the DSS system answered his call.

“Yes, I am Kaiba’s personal assistant, Z-483LL, you may refer to me as ‘Christine’ at any time” she said with a smile… One more genuine than that of the girl that was behind with his friends. “Kagami Yuusuke, you may ask me questions regarding card interactions and public information at any time... You may ask me the written card text of cards within public information. You may ask me for any properties within public information. Public information is cards that are confirmed throughout this test through, such as cards added from deck to hand, variables such as cards in my deck, extra deck, or similar…” she says, blinking, and placing cards into his empty Deck slot. Z-4 would make her way to the opposite side of the dueling field, facing the young redhead.

“If at any time you make an illegal activation, stall, or begin to reverse an already-committed action; you will lose points. Once your fingers leave a card you have revoked your rights to redact your actions. You must perform an action every sixty seconds.” she said, still listing off standard rules of policy, as this was going to be a duel puzzle by the books… “You will use the cards provided via hologram.” she completes, giving a polite bow as the soft-robotic voice came out of her, causing much more degenerative boys in the crowd to swoon oh-so very slightly over the artificial girl. Now, as her field materialized itself, giving a completely foreign and off-topic deck from his previous week’s teachings to both her, and his field.

The droid’s field would spontaneously erupt into titanous synchro monsters of various sizes and appearances, forming out of the data. Despite being realistic however, the solid visions were still holograms and nothing more. Similarly, a set of cards could be seen in … ‘Weird selection...’ he thought, continuing on, this little lass was still summoning her former monsters… Now ending upon 5 high level monsters…

This might be tough. As they all had attack power ranging from 2100 to 3100. This seemed too odd to be a feasible combo. But this was a Puzzle Test of course… Make an unbreakable board, break it with your resources. Her final card was set, immediately passing her turn to Yusuke, prompting his holographic display to collapse into 3 solid-vision holograms, with a 4th appearing on the top of his deck. The last of his cards was an ‘Emergency Teleport’, ‘Fabled Lurrie’, ‘Brain Control’, ‘Dimension Fusion’, ‘Synchro Fusionist’, and an assortment of face-downs, 3 in total, all traps. His life points were only 900, and Christine’s were 6700 ‘Dimension Fusion’ costs 2000 to activate, making him question its worth. 

“Mr. Kagami, the objective is to beat me this turn, you have 15 minutes to complete your test. You may begin.” She bows, now allowing the game to begin. Yuusuke would begin getting antsy, the dozens of students around him beginning to chant with an already beginning countdown…

“10..!” they shout to the dwindling clock… Counting down further and further, causing Yuusuke’s eyes to lighten in shade just a bit, and a smile to form upon his face. “9..!” they continued, his arm raising to take it’s draw stance as the clock continued to tick down to eight, seven, six… “5..!” and he was lost, enamored with this challenge, and now lacking any of the nervous sensations he previously felt, now gearing up and being _ready._ “3..!” and the numbers shine red… “2..! 1..!” and the buzzer would begin 15:00 on the clock to solve the puzzle, but not before a proper declaration of their match beginning.

“Let’s Duel” hollered Yusuke before beginning his turn.


	6. First Class, Part 2

"Let's Duel!" echoed throughout the dueling arena as the red-haired rogue drew off a card to send an emotional shockwave outwards from the center platform, as he alone was now looked on by peers with great enthusiasm, seemingly the first to ever use the advanced puzzling algorithms and even _Duel_ against a Z-Unit DSS…"Good luck Mr. Kagami..." the droid said with yet another bow, prompting a response; "No matter the size of the field, or the strength of the monster, nobody beats the luck of the draw..!" he elicits whilst activating a spell card.

* * *

_**(All Duels use anime/game/altered effects of cards. TCG/Real versions of cards may be shown by mistake!)** _

**Yuusuke:**

900 LP

Main Deck: 3

Extra Deck: 3

**Spell/Trap Zone**

Foolish Revival, face-down

Karma Cut, face-down

Wicked Rebirth, face-down

**Hand**

Emergency Teleport

Fabled Lurrie

Synchro Fusionist

Brain Control

Dimension Fusion

**Graveyard**

Vacant

**Z-483LL:**

6700 LP

**Monster Zone**

XX-Saber Gottoms

Gaia Knight, The Force of Earth

Colossal Fighter

X-Saber Urbellum

Turbo Cannon

**Spell/Trap Zone**

Facedown

**Graveyard**

Shiny Black "C" (3)

* * *

"I activate a spell..! 'Brain Control'!" he shout, squaring off the tips of his fingers to his beaten Duel Disk causing it to illuminate a varied rainbow throughout it's spaces, and down to the floor, scattering the whimsical music chimes of old KC tech to bring cast out his brainwashing hands and take over one of the illustrious' robots monsters… "I like the look of that XX-Saber you got there…" he said, casting out his hand.

"I'll be paying 800 of my life points to take control of 'XX-Saber Gottoms', giving me control of the strongest monster on the board..!" he declares, eliciting no response from Z-483LL, and dropping his **Life Points to 100**. For a moment the girl's monster would evaporate in a blue array of neon before suddenly re-emerging on his side of the field with a brandishing of his blade. An obnoxiously loud "Uraagh!" would erupt from his monster's mouth, preparing it's battle stance for the robot. But this was merely only the beginning…

**[XX-Saber Gottems to Yuusuke's field, Attack Position]**

****

For a brief moment Yuusuke thought to himself, unable to briefly comprehend the order of events that was to be… The first logical step was to simply take control of the biggest monster on the field, albeit Yuusuke's first thought was only to take control of the biggest monster on the field, thus keeping him in power. He looked up at his timer, seeing that just barely any time had passed for his timer. His eyes shifted to Z-483LL, talking directly to the robot and merely asking; "Christine, is there any order of events for this..?" he asked, causing the robot's unwavering and idle gaze to focus, and home in on him.

This darting gaze unsettled him slightly, as if she was _truly_ thinking instead of doing what her programming dictated… But the jerking motion of her head turning from an elsewhere gaze simply gave him that feeling of lifelike surrealism that he once felt when he first gazed upon her… That artificial sense of uncanny detail like when he first set his view on Akiko just one week prior. "I cannot answer," she elicited, very sternfully and clearly. _That_ very clearly wasn't public information, or information that could be discerned from a real duel, as _most_ boards didn't have a set order to bust… Thus she once again spoke, "Whether or not the order is set, is to be determined, Kagami Yuusuke" she said with a slight robotic vibrato.

His onlooking peers would tighten their gaze as well, casting down not judgement but question as their own puzzles had a set order of events. It was all _linear._ "So the gamestate is dynamic...?" he asked, causing the robot to only retort with an "Affirmative". This caused Yuusuke to sigh for a moment, unable to really think of what to do next except weigh in his options, "Shoot…" he said under his breath, instead going to perhaps put another monster on board. "In that case, I'll play this…" he said while placing down another solid-vision slip of photon cardboard.

"I summon 'Synchro Fusionist'!" he shouted, the card playing face-up in front of him and emerging forth in a gentle life-stream of purple and yellow wisps of light, and giving light to a rather demonic and twisted DARK attribute imp. "So when you get sent to the grave you'll add a 'Fusion' card…" he murmured, looking down and pausing for another second to _really_ think about this combo. Yuusuke simply had to weigh his options, still wary of the set card on his opponent's side of the field, and _really_ determining whether or not it was bait or not… In his deck were 3 cards; 'Krebons', 'Miracle Synchro Fusion', and 'Ultra Polymerization'. But those weren't what he was focused on…

"If I can ask… What are _those_ cards in your graveyard…?" he said quite worryingly, fearing the 3 duplicate monsters within her graveyard were some kind of trick due to their worrying resemblance to 'Maxx 'C''. "The current contents of my Graveyard are 3 copies of 'Shiny Black 'C''." she said, the emotionless complexion on her face not giving off any hints as to _when_ or _why_ she had these, merely opening up a display to view off their effects.

 _During either player's turn, when exactly 1 Synchro Monster is Special Summoned to your opponent's side of the field: You can banish this card from your Graveyard to target that face-up Synchro Monster; destroy that target._ 'Troubling…' he thought, wondering how he was going to take care of those before his Synchro Summon… 'I can try… Something…' he continued to think, eyeballing her back row and _praying_ it wasn't some form of negation. Although he had to use his skills of deduction now...

"Why would she need 3 of the same monster in her grave..?" Ali asked as she watched on from the stands. "She's scaring her opponent, blocking him out of any and all options to make sure he doesn't even get a chance to win." Akiko remarked, speaking in an informative manner, as if she were treating the younger girl as her student. "Of course you'd know what it means to have no mercy…" Chipp sterned, looking down at his previous upperclassmen with a slight grimacing look. "That was your go-to, 'Princess'" he said in a raspy smug tone, only causing her to gleefully smile and look above herself to his furious red-eyes.

"And yet who still lost that _first time_..~" she teased whilst pulling out a wrapped up biscuit cookie from her breast pocket. "You used to go nuts whenever we'd duel, but I always knew how to get you pacified," she'd gently laugh, handing him the tiny packaged treat. "Besides Chipp… It seems like your friend down there knows what he's doing." she said with confidence, her train of thought only being interrupted by the smaller girl's dog-like whimpering, pouting, and slight _begging_ for one of those little treats too. "Of course he does… He scored third highest in the entry exams…" was all Chipp retorted, the two youngest of the bunch biting into their cookies. "Thanks miss..!" Alisson responded with before Yuusuke continued with his puzzle…

"Next…" he began to say, trying not to stall for too terribly long while trying to think whether or not that backrow was simply just a battle trap or not… He had no cards to deal with anything of the sorts. No 'Red Reboot', no 'Cosmic Cyclone'... Nothing. It _had_ to be something he could properly deal with, whether it be off the summon of a monster, the draw of a card. Or at the very least some form of extenders… 'No…' he thought, _really_ taking his time to think of the proper way to go about things, causing his friends to once again question his plays.

"Come on, why's he thinking so hard, this should be easy for him..!" Chipp grunted, grinding his teeth almost in anticipation as Yuusuke had already lost three minutes of his time… "It's just a stupid puzzle, why's he having so much trouble..?" he said, attempting to seek some guidance from the 'all-knowing' one who simply said; "He's trying to weigh his options. He doesn't know what that face-down is… He has no extenders. No removal. Nothing to salvage the combo," she said whilst petting Alisson's head. "Albeit there's no reason that should be a negation if he doesn't have removal for it…" she now questioned. "What was his name again..?" she asked.

"Might I remind you that you are timed, Mr. Kagami..?" Z-4 said as his timer struck 11 minutes, causing him to on-impulse declare the activation of yet another card to give the illusion that he knew what he was doing… Merely declaring the activation of "Emergency Teleport!' to the robot, "I'll use this card to summon 'Krebons' from my Deck, in Defense Position!" he said in a hurry, forcing out a mechanical jester to explode from a green vortex to his side of the field with a sinister smile. 'It isn't a negate..!?' he thought, shocked to a degree but still testing the waters as it came to realization.

"I activate my trap card 'Foolish Revival'!" he said in haste, his eyes beaming with an uncanny radiance as he made a leap of faith. "This card will allow me to Target 1 monster in your graveyard, and then Special Summon it to your side of the field..!" he shouted, "And the choice should be _obvious_ …" he said as Z-4 made a nod. "Very well" she simply elicited, as a disembodied black shadow emerged onto the field, speckled with tiny glints of yellow starlight, as **Shiny Black C** was **Special Summoned from the Graveyard**.

* * *

**Yuusuke:**

900 LP

Main Deck: 1

Extra Deck: 3

**Monster Zone**

XX-Saber Gottems

Krebons

Synchro Fusionist

**Spell/Trap Zone**

Karma Cut, face-down

Wicked Rebirth, face-down

**Hand**

Fabled Lurrie

Dimension Fusion

**Graveyard**

Foolish Revival

Emergency Teleport

Brain Control

**Z-483LL:**

6900 LP

**Monster Zone**

Gaia Knight, The Force of Earth

Colossal Fighter

X-Saber Urbellum

Turbo Cannon

Shiny Black "C"

**Spell/Trap Zone**

Facedown

**Graveyard**

Shiny Black "C" (2)

* * *

"I've got your puzzle all but solved…" he said, now realizing what was to be done… "Because now that you control your monster, I'll be able to activate another one of my face-down's..!" he exclaimed, raising up a hand to force another pink-rimmed card to display it's face to his mentor, "Karma Cut..!" he elicit, a wide smile drawn unto his face, happy as it seemed he had all but figured out this Puzzle and it's mind games… "This trap allows me to discard a card, and then _target_ a monster… then banish it and all of the remaining copies from the graveyard, meaning I can continue my plays uninterrupted!" he declared.

And between his two choices..? Fabled Lurrie was the obvious choice, which then allowed him to subsequently summon it with the _chain disappearance_ of her monsters. "Furthermore, Lurrie's effect will allow me to Special Summon it since it was _discarded!_ " he shouted, causing yet another small monster to appear in place. This time being a small bat-winged imp with pale purple skin, and deep green bug-eyes, cackling and playing mischievously with the 'Synchro Fusionist' he had previously summoned… "Now is the time…" he said, looking through his extra deck to view the 'Magical Android', 'Dark Strike Fighter', and 'Ultimate Axon Kicker' that dwelled within…

"Awright, Yus'!" Chipp once again said as his roommate had subsequently dealt with the 'Shiny Black 'C'' problem. Causing yet another cold response from Akiko, "We still don't know what that face-down is…" she said while casting a sideways gaze to him, "It could very well be a Solemn Strike for when he goes to Synchro Summon…" she said whilst petting the dog-like ears atop Alisson's head. "His opponent is a robot with no emotions, no _brain_. She has a poker face… Your friend needs to weigh his options. Besides, we don't know what Fusion spells he has", "Right…" Chipp said in response, hoping Yuusuke would come at least _close_ to passing this. 'Ultra Polymerization..?' Akiko thought to herself, for some reason knowing the cards left within his deck, something they _didn't…_

"Nice..!" Yuusuke said with a fist pump, ready to show his peers just what he was about… "Time to take the stage! Let's ace this!" He continued to exclaim, a slight smirk appearing upon the robots previously dulled features as Yuusuke's Krebons broke into the air in two spectral, green rings. "I'll tune my level 2 'Krebons'...!" he began, as his other two remaining monsters broke up, and cast into the sky as three shining stars, ready to set the dueling stage afire with a _**Synchro Summon!**_ "With my Level 1 'Fabled Lurrie' and my level 2 'Synchro Fusionist'!" the stars and cosmic rings would align, a single shaft of light cuts between the two with a furious thunder _**crack!**_ And from a glint, and a bright explosion, a _Synchro Monster appears!_

"I synchro summon, **Magical Android!** " he exclaimed, as a technomatic angel would gracefully descend from the sky, raining down with subtle green pixels to illuminate the stage in a dull phosphorus green. Enchanting… But it certainly wouldn't be here for long, as the lingering spirit of 'Synchro Fusionist' would escape his grave-slot in a spectral orange glow, cackling maliciously whilst his peers let out varied cheers and exclamations in his favor. "Because Synchro Fusionist was sent to the Graveyard, I'll be able to add a 'Fusion' spell from my Deck to my hand…" he began to explain, pausing and stepping forward as if he stumbled for a moment… 'Ghn!' he said, feeling a pain in the back of his head that he could only pause upon.

He finally looked up at the robot in front of him, who had begun to smile gently upon his problem solving skills… But that wasn't his concern. If anything the artificial woman which cast a motherly gaze reassured him. It urged him to continue on. Nevermind the creeping feeling of whether or not it was a true sign of emotion, or even just a simulatory poker face. No… That wasn't the feeling. The male's head would turn to take a glance behind him, finding Chipp and Alisson onlooking with glee, the latter just _barely_ awake. But it was Akiko. Looking back upon him with her magenta eyes with a death gaze of some sorts, _forcing_ him to slow down upon his next move. Within his mind were simply the words… 'Ultra Polymerization'... To block out the ability for Z-4 to respond.

His heart felt heavy. Incredibly threatened, and paralyzed for a moment due to an intense pressure on his brain beginning to form merely from the gaze of this mysterious figure he had all but seen only three times now. As if he was being commanded by her to do so. His mind briefly flashed back to her standing up, and firing out that red hue to strike his cerebrum once again. But even that was a fading memory. Everything was drowning out to a pearly white. He could feel the pressures and feelings of himself and his surroundings warping. Reconfiguring. Quite literally _changing_ … And for whatever reason those words stayed. And two figures came into his visage. The shadows of a young boy, and a young girl.

'Focus…' he thought. The world for a moment didn't matter in his mind. Yet Chipp above in the bleachers still spoke; "Is he just thinking..?" causing Akiko to only simply respond with "I think we both are…" the tips of her hair and eyes just barely glowing with an inconspicuous Magenta. 'Focus…' he continued to say as those shadows danced across his mind… And the words which read 'Ultra Polymerization' vanished, soon replacing themselves with 'Miracle Synchro Fusion'. 'Focus…'

"Come on, Yuusuke..!" Chipp shouted, audible enough for his nervous pause to snap, and the pressure to alleviate off of him, bringing him back into this reality and giving him the clarity to immediately snap back into it. He shook his head, stammering for a bit, and his instructor said; "That was a rather deep thought… Are you alright..?" to which the young man responds… "Never better… I only have one chance at this, so I better make it right..!" he says, getting back into the groove by exclaiming; "Because I used Synchro Fusionist as Synchro Material, I can add 'Miracle Synchro Fusion from my deck to my hand..!"

As the solid-vision card was ejected from his deck slot, two glaring warning chimes were heard, indicating that he had only _five minutes_ left to complete his test. 'Easy pickings…' he thought, striking down a spell card. "Let's mix things up a bit!" he exclaimed, "I activate Miracle Synchro Fusion!" Yuusuke's hand would then swipe down back to his Duel Disk, forcing the card's activation with great haste as he did so, and opening up a vortex to fuse together into the biggest monster he had… It's _all_ he had. The rules were simply to beat Z-4 in this turn alone, and that could mean many different things. But in his mind it simply meant one thing… ' _If I have the most life points during the end phase I win..!'_

"I'll fuse my Magical Android with the Krebons in my graveyard!" he commanded, his two monster cards being whisked up and away from his field and grave, and becoming swallowed into a chaotic vortex just above his head. "To bring forth a psychic being of _immense_ power...!" he continued as the vortex unleashes a glint from it's iris, expanding like an eye to cast its gaze to the field, and expel forth a massive psychic being, it's size commanding the entire room to view it's _ultimate_ command over Z-483LL's field... Worn and matte bronze claws grip either side of the vortex, breaking through the barrier and rearing out it's green head, intermixed with green crystal brains…

It was a humanoid… No, a dragon… But all purely a monster, rearing its ugly head through the fusion's vortex as it broke like glass to fall unto the pale white floors. Gold, green, and bone white. It's immensely ugly head barely held together on it's skeleton, only via the force of will, and telekinesis. It's disjointed eyes look down wickedly upon the prey to be Z-483LL's field, as Yuusuke now controls _both_ of the strongest monsters in the game. He shouts, "I Fusion Summon, _**Ultimate Axon Kicker!**_ " commanding his gigantic psychic beast to unleash a bellowing roar, shaking the core of the audience down to the core, none more than the lavender haired girl who sat with his friends above who chuckled… " _Not bad…"_

__

* * *

**Yuusuke:**

900 LP

Main Deck: 1

Extra Deck: 1

**Monster Zone**

XX-Saber Gottems

Ultimate Axon Kicker

**Spell/Trap Zone**

Wicked Rebirth, face-down

**Hand**

Dimension Fusion

**Graveyard**

Miracle Synchro Fusion

Synchro Fusionist

4 Others

**Banish Pile**

Krebons

Magical Android

**Z-483LL:**

6700 LP

**Monster Zone**

Gaia Knight, The Force of Earth

Colossal Fighter

X-Saber Urbellum

Turbo Cannon

**Spell/Trap Zone**

Facedown

**Graveyard**

Vacant

**Banish Pile:**

Shiny Black "C" (3)


	7. First Class, Part 3

With his colossal monster summoned, the groups of duelists around him let out a soft cheer, hyped to see such an amazing monster come from a simple puzzle duel. One many had never seen before… “Woah…” is all Yuusuke could say, never in his life thinking he’d bring out such an amazing monster… It certainly wasn’t the strongest in it’s ATK/DEF values, but it’s effect was beyond killer, “Alright..!” he exclaimed, moving his hand outwards to a single indexed point and ready to do what this monster was designed for… “Battle..!” he declared, moving from his **Main Phase 1** , and into the **Battle Phase**.

 _Bump…_ **_Bump_ ** _…_ And his heart once again felt that mysterious pressure, his vision only doubling up for a moment as a magenta haze took over his peripheral vision, fading, warning him… Making him hesitate for a moment to think things through. He could feel the vibrations of the monsters breathing animations behind him, deep in his chest. Despite his adrenaline the pressure felt less-so from anyone around him, but presences and beings he could not even hope to see. It made him think of… _Something._ Yet unlike before he grounded himself, gritting his teeth as he once again reminded himself that these were merely holograms. _Not real… Not monsters._ And let out a bellowing roar… “ **_Ultimate Axon Kicker, attack Colossal Fighter!_ ** _”_ he shout as his monster’s horns began to fizzle and bellow with golden electricity, kicking up dark black burning smoke.

His monster’s bone-grey and green horns would flow with heavenly gold, scattering throughout his decrepit form and bursting with a golden _godlike_ luminance, bringing with it a ray of light so powerful it shot out through into the hallways of the complex, through every window, through every little nook and cranny… The Ultimate Axon Kicker let out an intense roar as the golden radiance condensed to it’s ball-formed hands, expanding outwards as a massive orb of gold energy eclipsed and helixed with the swirling chaos of deep verdant green, awaiting the attack to be dubbed, and commanded…

 _“_ **_Psychicker Ray Burst_ ** _!”_ he commanded, pedalled by what felt like a much deeper energy within himself… A different _power._ A different _force_ . His creature once again casts out a violent and blood-curdling roar, not out of war, but pure _unrestrained_ rage, and casts out it’s condensed ball of viridescent energy upon it’s target, incinerating and _erasing_ it from existence as it’s shattered glass polygons collapse in on themselves, and are removed from the field via his monster’s psychic will. Yuusuke smiles, the magenta haze gone and the clarity of his mind gone from his surroundings, everything now settling in on him. He felt weightless. He felt anew. His first _true_ experience in this school. He chuckles.

“Ultimate Axon Kicker’s effect will allow me to gain Colossal Fighter’s attack points as life..!” he elicits, proud as his low 900 increases to a safe **2900** , and Z-483LL’s down to **6600…** Insignificant, Albeit that was all about to change, as Yuusuke had already sent off his next monster to make a follow-up attack, “XX-Saber Gottems..!” he began, taken back briefly by yet another withdrawal that quickly burst within his head like a fleeting thought, and hastily eliciting; “Attack her Turbo Cannon..!” to which Z-483LL could only reply with the raising of her head, as if she was inhaling in surprisal. But she was a robot… She had no need for oxygen, and instead raised to attention her _facedown._ “Not yet…” she said in a stern emotionless draw, “I activate my trap card, _‘Quaking Mirror Force’!”_

“God…” is all Akiko could react with, relaxing back in her seat with a hand over Alisson’s head, petting the now sleeping child whilst her free-hand continued to mindlessly draw away at her notebook, eyes shut yet _still_ perfectly scribing out what appeared to be an upright stegosaur. Chipp momentarily looked down upon the curious drawing of hers as graphite struck against paper, questioning as to why she’d draw such a figure or react to the Duel in such a way. But instead kept his mouth shut, not wanting to be outdone in words yet again. He simply asked, “Something wrong, Aki..?” with a slight sign of concern. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Just a sudden headache…” he said, opening her eyes to cheekily smile and look behind.

“Crap..!” is all Yuusuke could declare, shaken over the act and now being robbed of a free 3100 points of damage, as his ‘XX-Saber Gottoms’ upwards jump into a somersaulting slash was now repelled, and grounded. His card now being forced face-down of which it would remain for the rest of this duel. The clock ticked down to 5 minutes. Yuusuke now half-defeated as he no-longer had a way to reduce the deficit within their life points. Nevermind that… He was still pumped up, smiling, and unrestrained. Every care, every negative feeling. Every second thought, or bad memories leading up to his time at this academy was now gone. And he felt thrilled to have summoned such a powerful monster even now. And even if he only got a half-grade, or a failing grade… He was still passing. Yet even this wasn’t enough… Thus he elicits. “Main phase 2!”

* * *

**Yuusuke:**

2900 LP

Main Deck: 1

Extra Deck: 1

**Monster Zone**

  * XX-Saber Gottems (Face-Down)
  * Ultimate Axon Kicker



**Spell/Trap Zone**

  * Wicked Rebirth, face-down



**Hand**

  * Dimension Fusion



**Graveyard**

  * Miracle Synchro Fusion
  * Synchro Fusionist
  * 4 Others



**Banish Pile**

  * Krebons
  * Magical Android



**Z-483LL:**

6600 LP

**Monster Zone**

  * Gaia Knight, The Force of Earth
  * X-Saber Urbellum
  * Turbo Cannon



**Graveyard**

  * Quaking Mirror Force
  * Colossal Fighter



**Banish Pile:**

  * Shiny Black "C” (3)



* * *

With 5 minutes left on the clock he had to do something, or else be forced to move into the end phase with nothing left in the way of winning, as it stood, he would pass with a 30%, a failing grade. But his Dueling grade passing at an overall C+, ‘decent’ he thought. Yet it was still worth a try, to ‘never give up until the last card is drawn’... Thus he thinks to himself, pondering upon the spell card in his hand ‘Dimension Fusion’, and without second thought, without a hesitation as it would be before slamming it down to the flat of his Duel Disk, reducing his **life points to** a shallow **900** , causing negative reactions from his peers, yet even so proudly declaring “I activate Dimension Fusion..!”

A rumbling shake would over take both of their dueling fields, Z-483LL’s eyes opening wide for a moment to take in the act, as not even her own master _Kaiba_ was so bold as to take this direction even in their standard Duels… It was a risky move, but pre-planned. _Destined_ to end in such a way. This was a puzzle duel after all, thus a very thin smile formed onto the artificial beings lips, as 4 dim helices formed to will 4 monsters back into existence. Two copies of ‘Shiny Black C’, ‘Krebons’, and ‘Magical Android’, all coming to the field in a bright burst of multicolored cuboids, and once again displaying their respective stats and quirky animations. Now it was time to see how far Yuusuke would go, if he even would get stumped as to what he should do.

‘I’ve got one last card in here… It’s all or nothing now, and even then I won’t get her life points to zero’... He thought, pondering whether or not to bring out yet another sizable monster. But the thinking wasn’t needed in this instance… All he needed was another play, another way _out._ And he had a feeling this might just be it. The timer strikes _four minutes_ . “Once again I’ll be using my Krebons to tune together with a monster, my Magical Android” Yuusuke calmly elicit, raising a hand to the sky as his monster split once again into 2 green hemispheres, “Two plus five equals _seven, seven, seven!”_ he shout, as his Magical Android built up those familiar glinting stars.

A shaft of light cuts the room, as the deep thunderous clanking of metal and gears rotate and reverberate like an old drawbridge to give shape to a humanoid-machine shape. The revving of turbine engines is heard whirring throughout the air, wings expanding out with a fwoosh, and breaking the light to reveal _another_ Synchro monster..! “I synchro summon **_Dark Strike Fighter..!_ ** _”_ he shout as his monster struck it’s pose, clanking down unto the floor with a large metallic **_THUD!_ **

**__ **

* * *

**Yuusuke:**

900 LP

Main Deck: 1

Extra Deck: 1

**Monster Zone**

  * XX-Saber Gottems (Face-Down)
  * Dark Strike Fighter
  * Ultimate Axon Kicker



_(Note: All cards in this series use their anime/game texts!)_

**Spell/Trap Zone**

  * Wicked Rebirth, face-down



**Graveyard**

  * Magical Android
  * Krebons
  * 6 Others



**Z-483LL:**

6600 LP

**Monster Zone**

  * Gaia Knight, The Force of Earth
  * X-Saber Urbellum
  * Turbo Cannon
  * Shiny Black “C”
  * Shiny Black “C”



**Graveyard**

  * Quaking Mirror Force
  * Colossal Fighter



**Banish Pile:**

  * Shiny Black "C” (1)



* * *

“This Duel is all but over..!” he declared, as his monster’s turbines began to glow a deep searing red… “I activate my monsters effect..!” he said, the turbine foolishly sucking in his ‘Ultimate Axon Kicker’ in a comical manner, it’s shape being skewed and warped in before escaping out the front in a sound reminiscent of escaped suction… And raining a red force upon Z-483LL, reducing her **Life Points to 4600**. Once again, “I activate my monster’s effect..!” he shout, bellowing out as his ‘Dark Strike Fighter’ once again cascaded it’s red haze upon Z-483LL, who could only nod in approval.

Once again, Yuusuke figured it out… And used the face-down ‘XX-Saber Gottems’ he controlled as tribute, sending out yet another pulse of 1800 damage, once again reducing her **Life Points to 2800** . He grinned, still not satisfied. And he asks… “Ms. Christine… You’re a judge, right..?” he asks with a smirk, something she reciprocated. Something which made him just feel even more in his element, whether it be a genuine _feeling_ or not, he still enjoyed it. “Yes.” she responded with, nodding into his next question. “Than what would be the ruling for my Dark Strike Fighter..?” he’d ask.

“Dark Strike Fighter…” she elicit, smirking as his timer now ticked down to _2 minutes._ “You can you can Tribute 1 monster; inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Tributed monster's Level on the field x 200.” she smiled, the clock ticking down even further. Yuusuke surely was showboating now as she read off _exactly_ what he wanted to hear, “This effect does not Target. This monster can use itself as a requirement…” she said, doing herself in as the monster would immediately fizzle out into a red-hued haze, and reducing her **Life Points to 1400.** “Very good…” she said, smiling… Further. The clock dwindling down. “And if that’s the case it’ll now leave me to use this…” he said with a gleeful smile.

“This was my old favorite back home… So why not show you it’s _real_ power!” he said, casting open his last remaining trap card and exclaiming, “I activate Wicked Rebirth!!” he shout, the card sapping yet another 800 **Life Points** reducing them **to 100** . He was on the edge, yet the climax has already been reached… And the choice should be obvious, as his _‘Dark Strike Fighter’_ re-emerged from the confines of his graveyard, immediately heating up brighter than it had ever gotten before to seal the deal, and end this game…! Thirty seconds on the clock, and Yuusuke elicits, “This little challenge has been fun..!” as the clock ticks down to 25…

“But I’m acing this with flying colors..!” he said as his hand goes out, his fingers draping down in a hand-symbol of sorts, meant to mimic the lines seen on a bar code. He geekily smiles, “So without further ado…” as the clock reaches down to 10… 9… 8… “Dark Strike Fighter, end this duel..!” he shouts, his monster giving an affirmative nod as it self-destructs as the clock dwindles down to 3… 2… and 1… _Incinerating_ Z-483LL’s life points, and reducing then to **0.**

**[ Kagami Yuusuke Wins!! ]**

Stretches across the display, the grade rating of **_A+~!_ **Causing his peers to share his enthusiasm, none more than Chipp who couldn’t help but shout down to Yuusuke with a “Let’s Go!!”, rousing Alisson to awake, cheekily rubbing her eyes and saying “What’d I miss..?”

And under her breath the guest of their group said, “How nice…”, looking up from her now finished drawing and saying “Kagami Yuusuke…” taking in his name for what it was, and touching a finger to her temple… “That rings a bell” she thinks out loud, causing Alisson to once again look up with a “Hm..?” to which she replies, “It’s nothing, Lex” with a cowardice smile, scratching the back of her head while putting away her things to take her leave. Akiko once again pulled another biscuit cookie out of her bookbag, giving it to the ‘dog’ and smiling. Leaving them with “Have a good day” as she pulled up her elbow length gloves, adjusting her uniform, and heading up those concrete stairs, looking back to view Yuusuke below, who was already heading back up.

Once again, their gazes clashed. Their positions just like in that dream of his… Akiko raises a finger, a twinkling red glow seen in it’s tips, causing him to stagger for a moment before realizing it was simply the reflection of her black & white gloves. This caused a wave of relaxation to ease him, as she gave him a subtle smile, and a vulcan sign. Peace. Something he shouldn’t forget, and certainly wouldn’t, still unable to truly shake off just how much of a stoic and cold beauty she was. And in an instant she was gone, the final school bell ringing, and the entire complex beginning to retreat to their dorms or the board walk for the evening…

Yuusuke made his way back up to Chipp and Alisson, the latter already going to hug onto him as a consolation, with Chipp giving just a nod. “Good shit!” he exclaimed, causing him to chuckle, a modest and sincere smile plastered on his face. “Thanks… I just wish I got to talk to _her_ a bit more y’know..?” he said, alluding to Akiko. Alisson looked up, proudly displaying her cookie and said, “She gave me a treat..!” with enthusiasm, the three getting ready to depart as Alisson bit into it. Not one of them for a moment questioning just why Akiko had addressed Alisson by her nickname… Or even a name to begin with....

_She had never told Akiko her name…_

Even so, the three of them continued on their way, Yuusuke with a proper A, and free weekend ahead of him. Thus they retreat back to him and Chipp’s apartment, if only for the coming hours to relax amongst themselves in the comfort, and the rising heat of NYC. “Maybe we should go out to the board walk..?” Chipp suggested, “Ooh, yeah! It’ll cool off a ton..!” Alisson interjected, ready to do _just_ that, and enjoy a night out at the beach. Something Yuusuke still had yet to do. Something Alisson had yet to do. And something that Chipp had yet to do. All of them came from places of heavy restriction, whether it be work. A home. Or the confines of a secretive state. Yet all that could be heard amongst the three was, “Yeah, let’s do it!” with a smile.


	8. Cry for the Moon, Part 1

“What’s next then…?” a youthful voice asks, sat across from Yuusuke and Chipp off the heels of his previous endeavor, still ever cheerful and giggly whilst he looked out the window of a restaurants booth, out to the sea, and the peripheral silhouette of the still standing parachute jump of the boardwalk, reminiscing about times before now. Before _everything._ “To be honest Lex’, I’m not sure...” he chuckled, taking a sip of a red colored soda, old fashioned glass bottle and all. “I’m getting bumped up to AP Fusion, so that’s a plus I guess.” he chuckled, Chipp himself lost in thought whilst playing away at his phone.

“Good on ya’ man,” he said in a grumble, angered and annoyed at his loss during that puzzle exam. His aura was obnoxious, the slight disdain being felt by Alisson to which she quipped with a “Don’t be grumpy. dull boy. There will always be second chances!” whilst swiping at his phone to disrupt his focus, forcing him up to exclaim; “You damn brat!” in an angered huff. For a moment they squabbled, laughed, and then settled. The grey-haired male of their group simply grumbling in disdain whilst putting his phone away and taking a sip of his own. “Screw you, tyke…” he uttered, the girl simply baring her canines and taunting him.

“Thanks guys…” is all he humbly uttered, falling into silence with a sigh of relief, and a brief closure of his eyes. “I’m just glad it’s the weekend now, no more school. No more stress. If only for a little while…” he uttered, a brief silence overtaken by them until a bell’s chime entered the room, and the shuffling of feet led the way to 5 figures. “Table for five…” entered the room, and for the few students who had been there; they all turned. Eyes looking upon _her_ once again… And for once they took in her unobscured view, also looking at her companions… “Who are those other guys…? I only recognize one of ‘em!” Alisson tried to whisper as the room fell to an eerie silence.

For the first time Yuusuke saw her emblem, her full self unobscured from others, along with her confidantes who dressed similarly to her… To which he could only think ‘So those rumors were true… She’s essentially royalty…’ he said within his mind. Yuusuke for a second didn’t look up, but down. Her uniform unlike the others was gothic. Militaristic in a way. The only thing that was shared among all of the others was a draped cloth over their right shoulder, but hers was much longer, and much more regal. Every part of her clothes lined in metallic gold. She was wearing pristine white leather boots, tied finely with black lace which trailed up to her thighs, tightly covered in black & white pantyhose.

Further up was her pleated black skirt, broken by a thick black belt firmly fastened against her waist leading up to her black and gold collar. “Those are the Inheritors...” Chipp whispered, never having seen them all together in such a direct fashion. “They’re the number 1’s of each ward…” he continued to say as the room began to pick back up, “Kishi Reeds… Yori Powell... Ryan Kei... and Kenji Hayes…” he said whilst taking a half-hearted drink. “They’re a force to be reckoned with. All five of those guys have one of _them…”_ he said with a heavy emphasis, “Akiko included…”

This caused Alisson’s eyes to open wide for a single moment, the girl casually sipping on a milkshake whilst swinging her legs. “Aw! That’s so awesome!!” she exclaimed as the other group went to their seats, Akiko herself eyeballing Yuusuke still and thinking… ‘He’s here…?’ with gentle curiosity. “Akiko...!” said the only other girl of their group, whining and tapping at her wrist annoyingly. ‘I don’t want to be here right now… Stop tapping me, I swear to god…’ she continued to think to herself, “Yes?” she then uttered pleasantly with a smile. “Want to split a cake..?” she asked, her pink-haired friend nodding in response.

Kishi Reeds, Manhattan’s star. Otherwise known as the ‘Star Child’. Hailing from the ‘Energized’ ward she is adept in the use of a new kind of Duel Monsters… _Energized_ monsters, she herself has a strange type of card that only few in their world have… Pendulum monsters… “What kind then..?” she asks, causing Akiko to simply respond with “Vanilla…”, the other simply lost in thought. Out of touch. A stark contrast to Kishi who was always in the now, and cheerful, encircling her locks of mint-green hair in tiny circles, herself looking much similar to Akiko, right down to her also unnaturally magenta eyes.

Kishi’s own uniform was in a similar style to Akiko… Stark white, silver, and gold. Her own cape on her left side, and having the Manhattan ‘Faith’ Academy’s symbol, unlike Akiko’s who bore the Fusion Ward’s supremacy mark. She was almost like a mirror image of the other, the only distinguishing feature between the two being Kishi’s own hair clips, and lack of gloves. Due to their seating a crystalline tattoo of a cross could also be seen on her left arm, a beyond beautiful work of art with very meticulous and careful inking… “You two are so obnoxious…” the tallest, and visibly oldest of the group said. Yori Powell.

He himself was less interesting… Simply seated with a uniform not dissimilar to Yuusuke’s own, but just as the others had a cloth crimped into his collar that draped just to his waist which bore the XYZ ‘Beast Skull’ mark. What set him apart from the rest was his glasses, and all-black uniform, only cut by the red of his tie, and his thin rimmed glasses. He was by a great margin the most sophisticated, cool, and composed. His maturity could be seen just in his body language and posture alone, holding up his menu and reading through it in silence. “Leave the ladies alone!” said another, the smallest of the group, grinning and kicking his feet just as Alisson did.

For the main assembly of children it was clear… They certainly were much more odd than them. But Yuusuke simply looked in envy at Kish, who sat next to Akiko. Close like they were family. His ogling was only disturbed by the unnoticed 5th member of their group, who came up to them calmly, and smoothly. Smiling at Alisson who had already looked up at him. It was only until the canine girl’s hood raised up slightly, the implication that her ears had risen to attention just as a repeat rising thump of her tail against Yuusuke’s leg did that they had been greeted. “Shh..!” he said, startled, and snapped out of his daydream. “You look well bro!” said one of the blue haired elites, smiling down upon Yuusuke who he immediately recognized…

“Yo!” he said, grabbing his already outstretched hand and initiating a secret handshake of sorts to one of his friends from the Synchro ward, “Chipp, this is my friend from Queens, Ryan.” he uttered, introducing his friends to his old rival from the state. “This guy here used to be an animal back home...!” Ryan exclaimed, he seemingly being the ‘nicest’ out of the 4 others who sat across the soda fountain… “He has the _coolest_ monsters I’ve ever seen, they’re the same as that one guy from years back, the uhh... Accel H-!” he tried to say before quickly being shut up by Yuusuke, who could only force a hand to his mouth with a beet-red face. This action had already gotten the attention of his other group again, who only looked on questionably as to why he’d be with some ‘low-lifes…’ as Akiko thought.

“D-Dude, you don’t have to be a hype-man or anything! It’s kinda embarrassing.” he said as he removed his hand from his old friend’s mouth. Yuusuke still had a hint of a blush on his face, although not just from the embarrassment of having himself being bragged about, but having his hands over someone's lips.

“Nah c’mon, you shouldn’t be shy about it!” his slightly taller, blue friend insisted as he gave a decently hardy pat on the back to try and loosen his old friend. A sudden realization occured as visualized by his changing facial expressions. “Wait...have you not dueled since you got here… With your actual deck I mean?” he questioned, leading to Yuusuke to rub the back of his head in unease as he chuckled nervously.

“No, I… guess not since the entrance exam.” Yuusuke replied, slowly lowering his arm as his friends observed the conversation between the two. “Can I see it!? Your ‘Accel-whatsits’?” the canine attributed young girl requested, eager to see the cards Ryan had described in such enticing yet vague detail. Before Yuusuke could even respond the young girl would look at the deck box on Yuusuke’s side, reaching out and trying to nab it before shifting out of the way.

“At least gimme some time to answer!!” Yuusuke said as Allison flopped forward over the seat. Yuusuke would sit down back at his seat as Allison got herself back up on hers as well. “I just… haven’t gotten a chance to use them while here as all.” he said as he placed his hand on the deck box at his side. “Aww c’mon! Lemme see ‘em!” Allison yipped as she leaned forward to be but an inch away from Yuusuke’s face, making the redhead jump in surprise. “Wouldn’t it just be better to see them in action instead?” he proposed, trying to calm the over excitable pup down. “But I wanna see what they look like! C’mon just one card?!” she asked as she kicked her legs in the midst of leaning over the table.

Another of the Inheritors would overhear the young girl’s numerous pleads with Yuusuke, not difficult given the volume at which she was yelling. The smaller student would close his hand into a fist before slamming it on the table and standing up. “Enough!” The student known as Kenji would say as he stood up and walked over towards the girl with furrowed eyebrows. “Hm? Rarr! Rarr!” Allison quite literally barked back at the equally short teen as she witnessed him stand with a furrowed expression. “I thought runts weren’t allowed here at the _union_ .” he said as the shop full of students looked on, “I could say the same to you!” she yelled back at him,” she said as she leaned in to snarl at him. “Ladies ladies, calm down… I’m sure we can handle this in a calm, non-viole-” Chipp began to _calmly_ elicit, before being interjected by both of the children with an ear-shattering “SHUT-UP!!”.

Ryan would look back towards Yuusuke after seeing the two shorter individuals arguing amongst themselves. “I’m sorry about him, he’s got a temper as shor-” Ryan said before being interjected by his fellow inheritor, “Don't you even THINK about it!” Kenji hollered back at him. “Alright half-pints, let’s take it outside...!” Chipp said, immediately ready to drag both the ‘dog’ and the ‘cat’ as Yuusuke could only hide his face. Reddened even further by his peanut gallery’s show. The bickering of them was only further loudened by a loud audible sigh from Yori, and the interjection of Kishi exclaiming; “Kenji, can you _not_ be an obnoxious ass today..?” in a rather bitchy tone, causing Akiko to merely look at her with a sigh, and then an eyes-shut smile to mask her disdain…

“Can SHE not be a freakin’ chihuahua for five minutes so I can eat my food!” Kenji yelled back at Kishi as he pointed towards Allison. “You’re the one who started it you little twerp!” Alisson interjected before biting his finger unaware of her own size which caused him to retort “Takes one to know one!” he said, “Jerk!” , “Moron!” , “Dummy!” , “Imbecile!” , “Bitch!” Alisson would finish, Kenji’s own eyes opening wide in a gasp, only causing him to say; “I’m telling on you!” in reference to the _brat tamer_ of her dorms. “You better not!!” she shouts, forcing up Akiko out of her seat to slam her hands on the table angrily…

“Kenji!!...” she said, looking at him in anger, **_“Enough!”_ ** She then thunderously shouted in an ominously low roar, her voice underlined with that of another gender, another being, and for a brief moment causing the onlookers of the restaurant to look in their general direction as several patron’s glasses inconspicuously shattered. “Sit down, and **shut up!** ” she angrily elicited, trying to go back to peace before a manager stepped in and angrily gestured at _both_ parties to leave before they got security on them. This angered Akiko _greatly_. Enough to very quickly leave in front of her peers, Ryan being second to calm her down…

“We’ll take this outside then bronx brat!!” Kenji said while raising his sleeve to reveal a compacted Duel Disk, Alisson herself very quickly reached into her alice pack to grab her own and say “Fine then dipstick..!” she exclaimed. The rest of the group would promptly leave, with Yuusuke and Chipp both very apologetically leaving their money at the table, but not before Alisson would very quickly chug the last of her milkshake. “Darnit!!” she said painfully, whimpering and putting the thumb to the roof of her mouth as Chipp grabbed her wrist in a hurry to leave before any more trouble started. And then the trouble began…

With both groups now out on the boardwalk, the attention on all of them was now high, including that of DSS Security, onlooking in disdain. Both Chipp and Akiko each would grab ‘their’ children by the collars, “Quit bein’ so immature you damn ankle-biter!” Chipp said, Akiko herself saying “Act like a gentleman, Kenji...!”. “Y’know, I never envisioned _this_ to be our school lives at the academy-” Yusuke said to Ryan as he witnessed the sight he swore he could have only seen in some kind of fever dream. Ryan would chuckle in response, covering his mouth with a single knuckle as he tried to clear his throat and stay mature. “Now quit. It…” Akiko said, releasing him quite sternly.

“You know what, fine…” he said in response, cocking his head at Chipp who was holding back his dog… “Damn, you're strong…” he said in response to her trying to drag and go in to duel Kenji. “Listen Kenshi or whatever your name is, I’m going to rip and tear you to shreds with my deck...!” she continued to snarl, Kenji himself angrily retorting; “I’d rather not waste my time with you, or your lame simp servant...!” he then shouts, turning his back only for Chipp to release the hound, and stand off too. “What’d you say..!?” Chipp angrily retorted, standing to and causing even more of a scene, finally forcing Yuusuke to interject despite the danger presented in front of him. “Both of you, come on!” he shouted whilst stepping between the two now verbally warring factions… This _incredibly_ juvenile squabble had gone on long enough, and they were starting to cause too much of a scene…

“If you’re gonna duel, go duel somewhere else..!” he said, causing Kenji to huff and point out down the street, back to the arena of the Union Academy. The evil little duelist’s gesture didn’t go unacknowledged, and the older members of both groups made a sigh in resentment, walking like warring gangs to their battlefield. It was only a short distance… Only but a block or two, but Akiko’s now _second_ exposure to both Yuusuke and Alisson certainly wasn’t well, when oddly enough she was taking a liking to the tyke earlier… Chipp, Alisson, and Kenji all were in front of the pack, leading the other three inheritors in the back as Yuusuke’s embarrassed blush began to fade, just as they did into the darker streets, and the entrance of the dueling complex.

“Red head…” Akiko said, her eyes almost glowing like an effect seen in a movie… “Don’t beat yourself up, they’re just dumb kids…” Akiko said in contempt, not valuing the situation in the slightest to which Ryan would also say; “Don’t sweat it at all… I’m sure this will be fine” he continued, letting out a long sigh to his former rival. “What’s your guys’ name anyways..?” Kishi said, Akiko once again zoning out, not caring at the moment to form anymore ties… Yuusuke would simply oblige and deliver whilst they finally came across the large double-doors, locked tight with a lock & chain. Queue another outburst from Chipp… “Damnit..!” he said whilst jiggling the lock, “I’m gonna tear you to shreds once we get in there you dumb little brat..!!” he continued to shout, much louder, much more furious as there were no people. No DSS systems, and seemingly no cameras to watch them do the deed.

Kishi simply turned her head to Akiko once again and uttered her name, “Hayashiii~!” she whined, gripping and shaking her shoulder for a moment to bring her back into reality, the Duel Devastator frankly _done_ with the day, and in great need of blowing off some steam… “Fine…” she said whilst stepping up to the lock. “You idiots better make this quick, or I swear to _God…_ ” she uttered whilst cupping the delicate iron lock in her arms. The ever mysterious girl would only do more to raise an air of mystery surrounding her, ready to be rid of everyone, including _him._ Whether or not it be the feeling and angst of the moment, or a true feeling of disdain for his entire group. And in a few moments, a click, and the lock opens, seemingly with no tools… And then the doors opened inwards spreading moonlight into the massive dark arena. The group all staring into an endless abyss of darkness.

The loud creaking, snapping, and then sudden sharp thud of the doors opening and closing attracted the attention of two figures in the darkness, up high above the seats and in blacked-out boxes, viewing the intruders… “Mr. Kaiba…” a familiar voice says, waking the man from his rest in yet another one of his spaces. “It seems as though some students have broken in…” says Z-483LL in a half-worrisome tone. “One of them looks to be that boy from today…” she says, noting Yuusuke down below who had taken her AP course… “Hmm…” she says, eyes glowing and turning on the lights much to the surprise of the students. “Alright loser… Let’s dance since you want to pick on an ‘stupid kid’..!” Kenji said, directing his anger not on his equal in age. But for some low-life such as Chipp who couldn’t hold a candle to him…

As the two took their places upon the dueling platform, Kenji couldn’t help but snicker, his Type-2025 Duel Disk unfurling and decompressing with sharp electronic whirrs and clicks, coming together with a razor-thin profile. It’s entire appearance was almost entirely silver, and in a stark contrast to Chipp’s 2045 ‘Budget’ model, one shared by both him and Alisson. His duel disk was incredibly unique in this day and age by far, and was among the first series of Duel Disks to operate as communicators as well… However his was especially ‘special’ in a sense.

Chipp’s itself was nothing to run home about… Simply an updated and more ‘stream-lined’ version of the academy Duel Disks used in 2022… Nothing really of worth or value, and merely a cheap and easy to operate machine made for this very act. And one of the first to also incorporate _auto-shuffle._ Thus Chipp readies and says, “Game on, poindexter!” “Game on indeed…” Kenji said with a rather imposing smile upon his face. “It appears as though they are going to duel…” said Z-483LL above, causing Kaiba to come out of his seat and view the children below. “Just let security handle it…” Kaiba said in a tired tone, setting a hand to her shoulder to grab more of her attention. “That one boy… The inheritor. His Duel Disk is giving off a strange contacting frequency…” she said, quite literally being able to view the waves the Duel Disks used to communicate information

The dwindling Duel Clock began to tick down from 10… 9… A familiar sight for the two warring groups after the previous day. “Oh yeah… I forgot to mention one thing…” Kenji began to say, 8… 7… “If you lose, that little auto-shuffle of your deck is gonna go off…” he uttered, causing Chipp to say, “Yeah, it always does that, ya dumbass…” in a cold tone… 6… 5… “No… It’ll shuffle your deck so fast it will cause a friction burn… And _light your deck on fire!”_ he says, as time now dwindles down… 4… 3… “You should have thought twice about picking on someone who isn’t your own size…” 2… “What?!” Yuusuke interjected, quickly running onto the raised center platform and exclaiming to the twisted child, “That’s not fair!” as Akiko turned a tired eye. In that instant, a rather hastful **ERROR!!!** Was then elicit from the Duel Disk, the Duel Devastator herself holding her arm out with her own Type-2025 Duel Disk and _frying_ his. 

A very key reason these Duel Disks were recalled was due to their nature of being easily tampered with to send signals to cause other Duel Disks to complete cease function, and Akiko herself was having _no_ more of these… “Kenji I am _tired_ of these games…” she coldly elicits, herself stepping up to the platform and pushing Kenji onto his ass. “All’s fair in love and war, but have some honor…” she said turning down coldly to the other pair of boys, her eyes glowing, _furiously_. “I’ll take them both on…” she uttered, staring Yuusuke dead into the eyes, causing him to stagger a bit. “Don’t worry…” she said while turning her arm up to her chest, and activating her Duel Disk. “I’ll make this quick…”


	9. Cry for the Moon, Part 2

“What?!” Kenji Said, immediately getting back up and trying to cease her from fighting his battle… “I said _I’m_ taking care of this… And when this ends, _ALL_ of you will cease this senseless bickering and **_go home…_ ** ” she continued quite fed up. In a rather composed and cool rage as it seemed. “And you, _Chipp…_ ” she continued, “Both _you_ and Alisson will apologize for your ruckus.” still in a disregard for his partner in this two versus one. “I _still_ don’t know your name…” Akiko said while looking at Yuusuke, “But you made it into the AP Fusion courses earlier today… So don’t disappoint, _pretty boy…_ ” the female said, striking him with a great sense of fear…

“Fine..!” Chipp angrily shouted, “Me and Yus’ will take you down easy-peasy, and then your group of prissy elitists are gonna _beat it!”_ he continued, both him and Yuusuke standing side-by-side and readying themselves upon the central dueling platform. It’s size is vast, and much larger than it was prior in the day. All of the individual testing fields were recessed into the ground, leaving this much larger one perfect for such a thing… Once again, the signals would be drawn, the parties Duel Disks all illuminating in red, blue, and _pink._ The ticking time sequence restarting and dwindling down… “Sorry for all of this…!” Yuusuke said, Chipp on the other end still fuming at what was very clearly his ex-rival. And not to be outdone he says, “Don’t apologize to these high-society creeps…!”

Finally, Akiko says. “By the end of the night you’ll be eating those words…”, all three now saying in unison… **_“Let’s Duel!”_ **

**[ Chipp & Yuusuke vs Hayashi Akiko]**

**LP: 8000⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀LP: 4000**

* * *

_Note: This series uses custom cards, and anime/game/altered effects..! TCG/Real Life cards posted at times may not be accurate to how they function here!_

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 6

**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 5

**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

4000 LP

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 5

* * *

“I activate the spell ‘Pot of Desires’...!” Chipp said, a daring first move, but a bold one at that… Chipp’s Deck would automatically banish off the top 10 cards of his deck _face-down_ per cost, placing them in his empty deck box at his side and then draw a pair of cards, bringing his deck down to 28 cards, and netting him an extra 2 cards at his disposal. Thus bringing his hand to a grand total of 7. “Just what I needed…” he elicit, immediately going into the Special Summon of a monster. “I Special Summon ‘ _Scarlet-Eyes Swordswoman_ ’...!” he exclaimed, with it came his hand slamming a card face-up to the field with an intensity still not reached by the two squabbling children, or even the fire in Akiko’s eyes. As he did this she grinned, knowing well what his strategy was and having the _perfect_ counter for it. “I feel nostalgic… But that doesn’t mean I’ll be dwelling on a sentiment..!”

At that moment Akiko would play a card herself in response, a monster card from the hand…! “I activate the effect of ‘Ghost Sister & Spooky Dogwood’!” Akiko exclaimed, the half-tempered female herself gracefully setting down her monster into the graveyard to apply it’s nurturing effects upon her life points… Something she would be in dire need of during this Duel in particular, especially when she was dealing with two. Thus she says, “This card will make me gain life points equal to the attack values of every monster you special summon this turn, and with your Deck, I know that you’ll be feeding me quite a few high-level monsters…” she said with a snide grin. Yuusuke could only sit, slightly disgruntled due to both her, and Chipp playing two very rare and highly valued cards. He expected no-less from two Fusion Ward students… As Chipp’s monster was generated to the field, the unseen and unheard spectators would comment, “It seems as though they’re having a two on one, Seto…” Z-483LL elicit with a slight hint of artificial warning. Seto himself looked down again at the rather ‘wimpy’ cards that had been played thus far. “Leave them be… If things get out of hand I’ll deal with it personally” he then said, turning his back and retreating to his busy work. “Gain as many life points as you want ya prissy little punk, I’m gonna burn all of yer monsters to _ash!”_ Chipp declared, causing both her and the other inheritors to chuckle… “Don’t tell me…” she replied, “ **_Show me._ **”

“Fine..!” he then said, his monster’s effect activating. “I activate the effect of my Scarlet-Eyes Swordsman..! It’ll let me to send the top card of my Deck to the grave…” he started, his monster unsheathing it’s blade as a card automatically flipped it’s face up to reveal that it was _‘Scarlet-Eyes Fighter’,_ “And since it was a monster I can **_Burn_ ** ya for 600 Points of damage..!” he said proudly, the female's life points being reduced from a full 4000, and down to 3200. “You’re going to have to do a _lot_ more than that, Chipp…” she said, the grey-haired male already going to summon yet another monster. “Keep up all that talk, my Scarlet-Eyes is still gonna burn my path to greatness!” The male said, “I will activate ‘Polymerization’!”

A familiar sight, _Fusion._ The namesake both him and Akiko’s home, and a mark of _superiority._ An orange and teal vortex would lazily drape itself open, consuming both a ‘ _Scarlet-Eyes Impkid_ ’ in his hand, and the Swordsman on his field… “I Fusion Summon ‘ _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern!’”_ he declared, the vortex becoming wicked and dark, cracking and filling with the oozing red of fire, and bursting forth with a small winged Dragon..! His card would quickly dart into the ground, landing upon its feet with a brisk slide, standing, and roaring at Akiko who stood still, blank-faced, and stoic. Her life points increased by 1900 due to the effect of her monster, leaving her at 5100… “Wow, I thought there’d be more…” she said, looking down upon his rather small Dragon. “He’s got a lot of evolution to do… So I’ll be leaving you with two face-down cards… I end my turn..!” Chipp said, passing it over to Akiko herself.

  
  
  


“Very well then…” Akiko would utter, two fingers pressed firmly with her thumb to trail. And in a firm tone exclaims: “It’s my turn!” before her fingers rip off the top card of her Deck. Yuusuke would look on as she made these motions, eyeing her closely. ‘She looks pissed…’ he thought, in that split second the female letting off a draw which sent shockwaves through the two boys. Her posture, her form was amazing. But that was only the tip of the iceberg, and had no precedent for what was just about to happen… A subtle twisted grin forms upon her face, “I activate **_my_ ** spell card… ‘Pot of Greed’!” with a gleeful smile. Of course the two boys already knew just _what_ this was, it didn’t need an introductory phrase. Merely the action of drawing two more cards from the top of her deck.

* * *

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 6

**Monster Zone:**

  * Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Facedown (2)



**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 5

**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

5100 LP

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 6

**Graveyard:** **  
** Pot of Greed

* * *

With two more cards added from her main deck to her hand, Akiko’s eyes would focus on the red head of the group. Her hand as it were was more than equipped to deal with that Chipp had in store, but alas she had no way of directing her words at him. Her name still blanked from her head despite hearing it in the preceding day of now. Even so, “I activate my Spell Card, ‘Share the Mourning’” the female exclaimed, her spell card’s face opening to reveal the shape of a dual burial of soldiers mourning loss. She discards a card. “This card will allow me to discard my ‘Diaclone Forging’ to make you Discard a card as well..!” Akiko sternly said, directing her words at Yuusuke of all people. “Wait, me!?” he exclaimed.

Yuusuke’s own hand was rather dire… 4 Spell cards and only a single monster. It was all down to luck as to what she would pick due to her spell card selecting at random. Thus it now came down to each card in his hand glowing an ominous red and cycling through with a comical chime. Rapidly spinning across his cards, _beep. Beep. Beep Beep._ And slowing to an ominous crawl. “Come on…” Yuusuke said under his breath, thinking of a game plan if all went awry at this moment. ‘Unexpected Dai’ _, ‘Mutant of Greed’, ‘Dynamic Duo’,_ ‘Dark Hole’ _, and a…_ **_Beep._ ** As his one and only monster was selected and swiftly sent to the GY. “Woah!!” one of the onlookers shouted, as his monster card proudly displayed in a large hologram above.

Everyone for a moment was shocked, stunned. None more than a still hidden Seto Kaiba who could only say in shock; “What…? That’s…” in response. “There’s no way…!” Alisson barked. “Yori, you see this..?” one of the inheritor’s spoke, poking at the prudent man to look up from his focus and simply say, “Yes Kishi, I see it” in a deep tone. For the other two they could only look up also in surprise to know that someone like _him_ had such a card. And for the unseen spectators they knew it well. “Xtra HERO Vortechs” Z-483LL elicited in a chirp. “Isn’t that one of the cards that ended up defeating _Yugi?”_ she teased with a smile to her disgruntled master, placing a single index finger by the edge of her mouth.

“Crap!” Yuusuke shouts, his monster being sent away as a result of her card effect. Akiko stared at the card he sent off, both of their eyes interlocking gazes amongst each other. Yuusuke was short for words in this instant… His entire visage caught-up with the magenta tunnel vision as they shared a brief pausing glance. Akiko’s demeanor once again made a stark shift. “Neat…” she said with a rather ‘interested’ grin. A slight shrill undertone within her speech indicating some form of vicious arousal. She was going to enjoy crushing someone who used _those_ cards. “In that case I’ll Normal Summon my ‘ _Diaclone Orion_ ’, in Attack Position..!” she exclaimed, a card’s face projecting in blue & white into the floor and expelling out sparks of lightning and crackles of _life_ , building up the visage of her machine in a sheen of white light and translucent pixels. A beautiful sight that only the technology upon her arm could make…

“When my monster is Normal Summoned, I can send **_1_ ** “Diaclone” card from my Deck to my Graveyard, and I have _just_ the card” she said whilst a pink panel opens at her waist, obscuring her deck from view whilst the auto-selector parses through her entire deck, settling on yet another machine-type effect monster. “I’ll be sending ‘ _Allied Diaclone, Angel_ ’ from my Deck to the grave…” she trailed, swirling her eyes around and immediately casting forth a hand to shroud her monster in a magenta ray of iridescent photons. “Shit..!” Chipp said, gritting his teeth as she did this, catching a side-ways glance from Yuusuke who only knew whatever was next was certainly _bad news…_ “Bring your A-Game, Yus’... The game of our lives is about to begin” he elicit, coldly. _Fearfully_ . “By using **_one_ ** monster as Fusion Material, I can bring out yet another monster… A _Transformation Fusion..!”_ the furious fusionist shouts into the air, as her monster implodes upon itself and collapses into an explosive singularity. “What..?! One material..!?” Yuusuke exclaimed.

“Arise, the leader of my Alliance..!” Akiko shouts as her hand similarly bursts, expelling the symbol of the _atom_ and sending a ‘ _fwoom’_ throughout the area, “I _transform_ summon ‘ _Prime Diaclone Orion-_ **_S_ ** ’!!”she shouted as her monster let loose from a thunder shock, and striking a rather heroic pose. For the uninitiated, _this_ was a ‘Henshin Fusion’, otherwise to be described as “A Fusion Summon with only one monster?!” Alisson cried out. The amused Z-4 in the office above merely chuckled in amusement, “Kids…” she said under her breath, smiling at the ingenuity on display. “How’s that possible, a Fusion Summon with just one monster..!?” Yuusuke said, interjecting with Akiko’s summon, “Anything is possible in this game…” the Duel Devastator elicited in response, then coldly stating; “My monster’s **_gained_ ** effect **_activates_ ** …!” she shouted, activating the effect her Orion-S gained from his previous self… “I’ll banish the Diaclone Angel from my graveyard to Special Summon, another monster from my Deck..!” she exclaimed as a ‘ **_BOOM!_ ** _’_ erupted into a cylindrical white tube, bringing shape and life to yet another card of hers. “By Banishing Allied Diaclone Angel from my grave, I can now special summon ‘Allied Diaclone Star’ from my graveyard..!” Akiko said.

With a giant flash of brilliant white light yet another Diaclone would be summoned to her field, it’s own effect activating. This time it was a pink and white medical droid of sorts, flourishing two dual guns. The sound of Akiko’s voice drowning out to a glance from both Chipp & Yuusuke, a nervous nod… “Not so fast, _Pinky.._!!” Chipp said in a furious movement of his wrist to reveal a Quick-Play card. “I activate my spell card, ‘Book of Moon’!” Chipp said while gesturing at her monster. As if on queue, a blue book inscribed with egyptian symbols would charge and glow a radiant and misty blue, rumbling and filling itself with the energy of the night before violently exploding the contents of it’s mystical pages upon her monster to turn it face-down. “Yes..!” Alisson exclaimed, her ‘boys’ stopping the inheritor’s combo. The scene would once again be interjected by Z-483LL showing a faint smile to what seemed to be their triumph. But if only they knew what she knew…

“I believe you may want to watch this, my master.” the droid said, turning back to view her master back at his workspace and already flipping on a TV Monitor to view from the comfort of his office chair. “I guess we’ll see what these brats are doing with such rare cards…” Seto said with his typical standoffish tone. Albeit, something was amiss… “Report the gamestate to me, Christine…” Kaiba commanded, prompting her to tread over to his figure and tap his rather spacious desk, building up a holographic field to display the positioning of monsters. This for a moment shocked Kaiba, “Are these kids amateurs!?” he questioned.

* * *

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 6

**Monster Zone:**

  * Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Facedown (2)



**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 5

**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

5100 LP

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * Prime Allied Diaclone
  * Allied Diaclone Star (Facedown)



**Graveyard:**

  * Allied Diaclone Orion
  * Share the Mourning
  * Diaclone Forging
  * Pot of Greed



**Banished:**

  * Allied Diaclone Angel



* * *

Akiko snickered. It seems as though of all things they had made a mistake… Or perhaps they have misplaced their counter..? Either way… “My monster’s effect still resolves…” she said with a chuckle… “Poor little boy didn’t do his homework~” she said to the jest of her laughing peers. Another boom tube would burst open from the ground and expand outwards to give life to her elegant machine angel… “We’re still far from over, _Chippy_ …” she said in a stern, smug, and complacent tone. “My prime’s _true_ effect activates..!” Akiko declared. Orion’s chest would subsequently hinge open on either side, revealing a glowing red core for both of the boys. Once again prompting her peers and onlookers… “I’ve never seen this effect before…” Ryan said, “Of course you haven’t…” Yori said in response. “She only uses it when she knows she’s in deep shit!” then interjected Kenji.

“Stop playing with your food, Hayashi..!” then shouts Kishi, only for Akiko to respond with “Way ahead of you…” as her monster's core lifted into the air, disappearing into thin air and then returning with a face-down trap card... “By Banishing his former self, I can set _1_ “Diaclone” spell or trap card from my deck..!” she said, explaining her effect. “I’ll choose ‘ _Diaclone City Battle_ ’!” she said, “But before we get into _our_ battle I’ll be doing just _one more_ thing…” she said. Once again turning serious, “A fusion student like you should’ve known…” she said in a darker tone. “I fusion summon a monster..!”, this time opening up a helix storm… A _true fusion._ “Heh…” she chirped whilst the visage of her starfire flipped face-up.

“I’ll contact fuse my ‘ _Prime Allied Diaclone Orion_ ’, and that _foolish_ mistake you made into a monster retrofit for absolute combat..!” the lavender lady berated. “My mighty maxi-machine..!” she continued to phrase whilst her monsters condensed into merely balls of light, and became swallowed within the swirling helix storm of _fusion_ … “Come on out…! ‘ _Super Prime Diaclone, Orion-X’_ …!” she shouted as her contact fusion’s helix turned _magenta_ and _green_ , becoming corrupted and _bursting_ from her words into similarly colored pixels and photons… Wisps of light and scattering orbs crackling and popping with an entese radon heat as her heavily armored war machine made way onto the field… “Chipp…” Yuusuke said, looking up at her behemoth… “I think we’re in deep...”

“Ya’ think I don’t know that you ignoramus..!?” he said in response as Alisson exclaimed, “You can do it...!” for some form of cheering. Above in the private booths Kaiba frowned, his robotic assistant quite sultrily going to sit upon the edge of his desk. The robot's pure-white and buxom frame causing a subtle noise to escape from between his lips as if in a sigh, unwilling to hear what she had to say. _Whatever_ it was… “Told you it’d be interesting..~” she sweetly chimed, much to his dismay. “Will it…?” he said, looking at the boy's side of the field. “Why didn’t he save his ‘Book of Moon’ for this..? Unless…” he said whilst reading off her monster's effect. For a moment he sat stumped. Unable to process how kids nowadays dueled. But then Z-4 pointed it out to him. “Unless he wanted to lull her into a false security… He still has /another/ facedown…” Z-4 said, Kaiba eyeballing the field and thinking heavily for a moment… “She still has an on-summon effect…” he noted. And noted well…

“A running trend, and a devastating chain of effects… Because my monster used Star as Material, it gains an effect..!” she once again declared, onlooking with a masterfully powerful gaze as both Chipp and Yuusuke began to prepare for the worst…

* * *

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 6

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Facedown (2)



**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 5

**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

5100 LP

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Super Prime Allied Diaclone Orion-X_
  * Allied Diaclone Angel (Defense)



**Graveyard:**

  * _Prime Allied Diaclone Orion_


  * Allied Diaclone Star


  * Allied Diaclone Orion


  * Share the Mourning



  * (2 others)




	10. Cry For the Moon, Part 3

***Some cards might have been changed/finalized between chapters!**

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 34

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Facedown (1)



**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 5

**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

5100 LP

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Super Prime Allied Diaclone Orion-X_
  * _Allied Diaclone Angel (Defense)_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Diaclone City Battle_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Prime Allied Diaclone Orion_
  * _Allied Diaclone Star_
  * _Allied Diaclone Orion_
  * _Share the Mourning_
  * _(2 others)_



* * *

“My my…” Akiko said while twirling at a lock of her hair. “It seems as though you are at your wits end…” Akiko uttered, while staring down her foes. “Let’s make this quick and painless..” she shouted, ending her words with the phrasing of “Battle!”

With that, Akiko would waste no time. Her monster Orion eying down her foes with his beady-red eyes and drawing a firearm from his mechanical holster ready to pelt down their one and only monster with a simple hail of bullets. Chipp simply stared at Akiko blankly, his chin to his chest and eyeballing his former rival who would taunt him. “What’s wrong?” she boasted, “Orion-X, attack ‘ _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern’_ with Auto-9 Fire..!” she exclaimed, Orion-X beginning to run in and charge at their monster, unleashing a short burst of blue casma bolts before Yuusuke shouted “Chipp, do it!” at the top of his lungs. In that moment Chipp would throw out his hand, his monster beginning to jump and soar directly into the hailfire, dodging and swirling through every bullet and then around Akiko’s monster whilst opening a flaming vortex upon the center stage. “My monster’s effect activates, shit stain!” he exclaimed.

“During the Battle Phase, I can Fusion Summon a monster!” the young male said in his rugged voice, his wyvern’s foot digging into the armored machine and casting it back to Akiko’s side of the field for a potential replay whilst it continued to pick up speed and cast itself to the sky, swallowing up a monster within its wake. A _‘Scarlet-Eyes Stallion’..._ “Come on Chipp, you can do it!” Alisson shouted from below, causing Chipp to smile just a bit. “Bring on the _pain..!_ ” he exclaimed, the top of the coned vortex opening up and expanding outwards harmlessly into bright yellow pixels. “I Fusion Summon the flaming **_King_ ** of the Fusion Ward! _‘Scarlet-Eyes Infernal Dragon’_ !!” he _beyond_ angrily exclaimed, the vortex exploding to reveal his corrupted Dragon’s wicked visage, letting out a bellowing roar and raising it’s ATK far higher than even Akiko’s Orion. “My monster’s effect activates..!” He said, the massive Dragon began to beat its wings heavily to it’s descent, and tearing off part of Orion’s armor in it’s wing beats.

“When this guy is Fusion Summoned, I can Target your stupid machine and _Negate_ it’s effects!” he sterned, hoping to bait out the effect of her monster early to make their plans… Of course he knew what she was really about, and that she _always_ had a backup plan. And of course… _She did._ “Ah-Ah-Ah..~” she chimed, Orion flipping the Barrel of his rifle face down and forcing a discharge of bright plasma to blink the surrounding area, causing a bright flash to overcome the area and disturb everyone present. “I’ll be shuffling back the Stallion in your graveyard and applying the _first_ layer of protection to Orion, leaving him invulnerable to the effects of monsters!” Akiko exclaimed, forcing a potential extender for him, and making sure her monster was simply immune to the effects for now. His Dragon finally made its touch to the ground, letting out a deep guttural roar whilst her monster stood down.

* * *

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 34

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 2

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Infernal Dragon_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Facedown (1)



**Graveyard:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Impkin_
  * Scarlet-Eyes Swordsman
  * Polymerization
  * (2 others)



**Banished:**

  * (10 Facedowns)



**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 35

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 5

**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

5100 LP

Main Deck: 28

Extra Deck: 13

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Super Prime Allied Diaclone Orion-X_
  * _Allied Diaclone Angel (Defense Position)_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Diaclone City Battle_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Prime Allied Diaclone Orion_
  * _Allied Diaclone Star_
  * Allied Diaclone Orion
  * Share the Mourning
  * (2 others)



* * *

“I’ll simply activate the effect of my magic card, ‘One Day of Peace’..!” she exclaimed, throwing up the face of a simple normal spell which allowed _all_ of them to draw a single card, and prevent her from taking damage for whatever the redhead had in store. “I set three cards face-down, and end my turn” she said, face now deathly serious. Her eyes glowed red whilst she passed the phase to Yuusuke. And thus, the pressure started. Within his head it was like fireworks. A blue screen. Everything had come to a halt whilst he drew a card to round off his total hand to _7…_ ‘Well that’s just nice…’ he thought to himself, still having an additional 2 cards… ‘I can make this work’, staring down at a small symbol of hope… A **_HERO_** monster..!

“Let’s rock-it!” he exclaimed, without fear throwing down one of his many Spell Cards. “I activate the spell ‘Unexpected Dai’..!” he said while an affirmative nod came from Akiko. She _wanted_ to see this. “Since I control no monsters, I can Special Summon a Level 4 or Lower Normal Monster from my Deck…!” he said, a holographic blue panel appearing in front of him while he carefully made his selection. “There’s no doubt about it...” Ryan said, looking up at the podium of Yuusuke. “Let’s see it bro!” he shouted, causing a scoff from both Chipp, and the CEO still looking above. “So he does have _those_ cards,'' Z-4 said with enthusiasm, a glazed over look of faux nostalgia spread across her white features. “How exciting Mr. Kaiba~” she chimed, looking down upon her grimacing master with a smile. “Let’s just see how well this runt can utilize them…” he said in a stern vibrato. “Those are the cards that beat him…” he said before the scene set back to the Duel. “Yugi…” Akiko then said, wide-eyed as Yuusuke elicited; “I Special Summon ‘ _HERO Frame_ ’!!”

With that his monster’s card would audibly _smack!_ Onto the face of his duel disk, letting out an echo as everyone drew silent. “Because I Special Summoned a ‘HERO’ Monster, I can Special Summon _‘Xtra HERO Hypernova’_ from my hand!” he continued, everyone simply onlooking these cards in the flesh for the first time. They were all simply bewildered. Heavenly-high pitched gongs and chimes would sound briefly as the faces of two monster cards would grace the field. Each opening up tiny arrays of _synchro_ rings and stars in a constelation’s shape before expanding out gently in a downpour of divine glitter and pixels. One a pale yellow indicating the light. The other a satisfying and warming purple, indicating the dark. One of the inheritors took notice of a glinting blue spark upon the light monster, Yuusuke’s _‘HERO Frame’_. “No way…!” she said, looking up at it. “He has an energized monster too...!” she said.

“I see…” Akiko said with a smile, chuckling whilst his monster’s effect went through and brought it both from his hand to the field, and netted him another card. His hand was at an even 6. And yet her field was still full of spell and trap cards to break his board. But he was far from finished here. “Mr. Kaiba…” Z-4 said, pointing down at the field proper whilst looking at the mirrored one on his desk. “What are those…?” she said in reference to these _‘Energized’_ monsters. “They’re a nuisance…” is all he said in a sarcastic remark. Heavily focused on the duel as if it was a chess game, thinking through the moves and projecting himself into the game. He was learning from it… “They’re the byproduct of Ener-D. They’re like the New York monsters and Synchro Monsters in one. They can make an even stronger form of themselves using an overcurrent of energy…” he continued, his assistant raising her head and drawing out a memory from her drives. “But isn’t this Deck Synchro Focused…?” Kaiba said, looking to the side to view Yuusuke striking a pose…

“It’s both…” he sterned whilst the two monsters developed themselves fully. Upon his left hand side the frame would build itself up. A digital rubric of which a hero's costume could be built upon, surging and crackling with an explosive aura of uncontrolled energy. The other monster was a female HERO monster. A slim beautiful girl with blue & white hair, deep yellow eyes. And radiating a fine crystalline dust that emanated the powers of darkness and space. Two powerful auras to soon bring forth into yet another hero. Yuusuke smirked, “You have a lot of face-downs, let’s play things safe then…” the male said. His voice drew out to take in breath. “I’ll _tune_ my _power-_ level 4 ‘ _HERO Frame_ ’, and my _power-_ level 4 ‘ _Xtra HERO Hypernova_ ’...!” he shouted. With that his Dark monster would similarly reciprocate his pose, reaching out to the sky whilst a silver buckle developed in her hands, placing it upon her waist he’d say “Let’s see if you’re ready for this...!”

Kaiba smiled… “Back during that time, I never saw these hero monsters…” Kaiba noted an upturn in his mood steadily approaching whilst he got out of his desk to accompany his assistant. Standing beside her he elicit, “Those blue level stars. They count as normal levels as well… How smart…” is all he could say while sitting on a black leather seat in front of the viewing glass, still obscured from the children’s view and looking on with a similar childlike enthusiasm. This was something Z-4 liked very much… So, she smiled as well. Enjoying her master’s enthusiasm. “So… cool!” Alisson said while on the sidelines, seemingly forgetting what odds Yuusuke was up against. Still, the game was far from over. And despite the opposition controlling an incredibly powerful set of monsters _and_ 3 Face-Downs. For the seemingly forgotten inheritors this was an upset. Kenji shouted “Hayashi don’t let this guy’s tricks get to you…!” whilst Yori stifled a grimacing sigh. Taking notes upon her foes. Seeing the cards that defeated Yugi long before now had swayed their expectations in reverse. And now it seems everyone whether it be silent or verbal had sided with those slumdog outcasts.

* * *

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 34

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Facedown (1)



**Graveyard:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Impkin_
  * Scarlet-Eyes Swordsman
  * Polymerization
  * (2 others)



**Banished:**

  * (10 Facedowns)



**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 34

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 6

**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

5100 LP

Main Deck: 27

Extra Deck: 13

Hand: 0

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Super Prime Allied Diaclone Orion-X_
  * _Allied Diaclone Angel (Defense)_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Diaclone City Battle_
  * _(3 Facedowns)_



**Graveyard:**

  * _One Day of Peace_
  * _Prime Allied Diaclone Orion_
  * _Allied Diaclone Star_
  * _Allied Diaclone_ Orion
  * _(3 others)_



* * *

In the coming moment, Yuusuke’s monster would affix the belt onto their waist, holding out their other hand out to Akiko’s monster. The frail girl would start to take in energy, swirling around vicariously and drawing in the _HERO_ frame to 4 bright lime-green rings, surrounding her and closing in upon her fingers to make a card. “Before creation comes destruction…” he said sternly, Hypernova flipping the card to it’s back and sliding it into the belt buckle, causing it to swivel and click. Red letters expelling forth whilst a robotic voice elicit; ‘ **Masukoraido** .’ while Hypernova devolved into a firm red, pulsing with an ever glowing radiance and rhythmic _boom_ ..! Whilst his monsters performed an odd Synchro Summon. “Come on the Destroyer of worlds…!” he said while the red hypernova collapsed, reformed, and then exploded into 10 multicolored frames. 10 different _HEROs...!_

“The ultimate **HERO** ! I Synchro Summon..!” he exclaimed before the frames collapsed inwards on eachother into bright and unnatural _magenta_ , shaping and molding themselves into a stark 3D figure to herald in the boy’s victory. His _ace_ monster…! ‘ _ACCEL HERO…_ **_DECADE!_ ** _’_ the robotic voice exclaimed in a firm and rigid exclamation before the colors and frames shattered violently like glass. Elegant. Refined. Yet still wholly powerful whilst his monster made a clean and controlled entrance, kneeled against the ground looking face-down before turning it’s head upwards and striking down Orion-X with his piercing viridescent eyes. He would slowly come to rise, striking a simulated layer of dust on his kneecap with his palm to wipe it off, and then to his hands. Dusting them in a standoffish manner before assuming an idle stance in Attack Position. “Decade’s effect activates!” Yuusuke exclaimed, Decade glowing out a brief deep-pink luminance

“When he’s Special Summoned, I can add a ‘Form Ride’ card from my Deck to my hand, I’ll be adding ‘ _Form Ride - Blade_ ’!” Yuusuke then exclaimed, adding a quick-play spell card from his deck to his hand. “Man…” Kenji said, scratching his head. “Dog breath’s got an interesting friend...” he responded, looking over to Yori who could only remark “So it may seem…” in a sigh. “These guys have kicked my butt a few times, but they’re beatable, trust me!” Ryan assured, “If there’s anyone who can beat a chump like this it HAS to be Hayashi!” Kishi then cheered, slapping a hand against her exposed elbow to Yuusuke. “TAKE HER OUT PEPPER HEAD!!” Alisson then shouted from the sidelines whilst Yuusuke’s arms outstretched in unison with _Decade._ “Decade, crash into her Diaclone now…!” he shouted, immediately proceeding into the Battle Phase whilst his monster began to make a mad dash at her large machine. “Rider Kick!” Yuusuke exclaimed.

Decade’s dash would be broken by a forward leap high into the air, twisting and coiling his body in the air into a downwards kick aimed directly at Orion-X’s core. Nothing fancy… Nothing special. A clean and masterful strike ready to take out _both_ of them at once. But, as Kishi said… It _has_ to be Akiko. Of course she had an out, flipping up a continuous trap and forming a wall of reflective crystals. “Slow it down, I activate my Trap! ‘Mirror Wall’!” She stated, clicking upon one of the silver buttons on her Duel Disk, attempting to _halve_ Decade’s attack, making his efforts all but futile. But just as she did, Yusuke also had an out, Decade’s kick becoming charged full of energy and breaking through the _Mirror Wall_ with his commander’s response. “I activate a quick-play spell… ‘Mystical Space Typhoon’!” he stammered, slamming his spell card face-up to destroy her trap card before it’s effect took place.

In that instance, both monsters would shred through each other leaving both players one monster short. Or so it would seem… Yuusuke elicits, “I activate Decade’s effect…!” With that, Yuusuke’s field would be filled with a further 10 cards, splaying out and reforming to build his heroes form once again. “If I control no monsters I can Special Summon him from my grave, but he cannot attack.” he said with a grin, “But that just gives me another option..!” Yusuke marked. Decade’s hands would gently clasp either side of his belt buckle, pulling them out to swivel it’s belt buckle upwards. A _spell card_ would then materialize in his hand, inserting it into its place. “I activated another quick-play spell, ‘ _Form Ride - Blade’!”_ he exclaimed. Decade’s belt declaring, [ ‘ **Masukoraido** **Blade** ’ ] before his monster’s form would begin to morph.

The magenta warriors armor would begin to change, expanding and reforming itself into a rigid silver alloy, his mask’s eyes warping into a deep bloody red, and it’s antennae arching up into a sharp spade’s point, the HERO taking on the visage of a chivalric knight. “Now for Blade’s effect, it allows me to search a ‘Form-Ride’ just like Decade.” he said, hesitating for a moment before also declaring “Blade’s second effect will activate simultaneously, cutting the attack of all the monsters you control in half. Then if any of those monsters have less attack than Blade, they’re automatically destroyed!” he stated as the knight like Hero prepared his sword, giving a mighty slash from a distance that aimed for Akiko’s remaining monster.

“You’re pretty good…” Akiko grimaced with a tiny smile formed upon the corner of her pale pink lips. But she was prepared… “A chain link 3…?” she asked as a question, “ ** _No problem…_** _”_ she said while flipping up another trap card. “I activate ‘ _Titanic Diaclone Breaker_ ’…!” she furiously shouted, banishing off _Super Prime Diaclone, Orion-X, Prime Diaclone Orion,_ and _Allied Diaclone, Orion._ “Since I control a “Diaclone” monster, I can Banish cards from my grave equal to the chain length and _negate_ the entirety of it…!” she explained, her trap card opening up a virtual aura expanding outwards to negate Yuusuke’s monster. A fair play… “It’s still the battle phase...!” Yusuke exclaimed, going forth to command his monster to still go and destroy her monster. “Accel Hero Blade, hack n’ slash her ‘ _Allied Diaclone Angel_ ’ to pieces..!” he exclaimed. 

“Turn-Upping Slash!” He hollered as Blade drew its sword once more, charging towards the robotic monster as he cut it clean and half, causing it to audibly cry out in pain before erupting. Akiko would feel the impact of the explosion, looking back with a static expression whilst her cape and hair were blown back a fair bit. Blade would return to his master’s side of the field as Akiko fixed her hair, looking fairly unfazed by the loss of her monster. Yuusuke would feel somewhat reassured, knowing that both he and Chipp had the advantage in terms of life points, hand size, and field advantage. But Chipp’s expression was still the same… He knew there was no such thing as a setback when it came to Akiko. “Don’t get excited yet…” he said.

“Right…” he said as he looked back to Chipp, giving a half nervous nod before turning his attention back towards their opponent. There was little left he could do, not having any cards that would be of use to them as face downs. “With that I’ll end my turn.” Yuusuke stated, moving into the end phase and passing the turn over to. “In your End Phase…” Akiko would then calmly state, revealing her third and final face-down. “I’ll activate Magnet Reverse, targeting Orion-X, and returning him to my side of the field…!” she finally worded, her spell card causing the ground to rumble and shake, exhuming her monster from his slumber in the Banish pile with a loud crack of alien-green lightning…! This caused Yuusuke’s eyes to widen, once again looking back to Chipp who could only look on with some form of stern regret. “Shit…” he said under his breath, thinking just _how_ he was going to get through this…

* * *

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 33

Extra Deck: 15

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Infernal Dragon_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Facedown (1)



**Graveyard:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Impkin_
  * Scarlet-Eyes Swordsman
  * Polymerization
  * (2 others)



**Banished:**

(10 Facedowns)

**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 31

Extra Deck: 13

Hand: 4

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Accel HERO Blade_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Vacant_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Form Ride - Blade_
  * _Accel HERO Decade_
  * _Mystical Space Typhoon_
  * _(3 others)_



**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

5100 LP

Main Deck: 27

Extra Deck: 13

Hand: 0

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Super Prime Allied Diaclone Orion-X_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Diaclone City Battle (Face-down)_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Magnet Reverse_
  * _One Day of Peace_
  * _Allied Diaclone Star_
  * _(3 others)_



**Banished:**

  * _Prime Allied Diaclone Orion_
  * __Allied Diaclone Orion__



* * *


	11. Cry For the Moon, Part 4

“In the End Phase, I’ll activate my monster’s effect...!” Akiko responded as she had her graveyard return one ‘ _Diaclone Angel_ ’ per Orion-X’s effect. “Now Orion-X has his layer of protection back...” Her crimson gaze would shift back towards her other opponents, taking her mind off Yuusuke for the time being. Thus the turn shifted back to the one who started off the duel, Chipp Macaster… “Come on…” AllisonAlisson said with a thin smile upon her face.

* * *

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Facedown (1)_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Impkin_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Swordsman_
  * _Polymerization_
  * _(2 others)_



**Banished:**

_(10 Facedowns)_

**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 31

Extra Deck: 13

Hand: 4

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Accel HERO Blade_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Vacant_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Form Ride - Blade_
  * _Accel HERO Decade_
  * _Mystical Space Typhoon_
  * _(3 others)_



**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

5100 LP

Main Deck: 27

Extra Deck: 13

Hand: 0

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Super Prime Allied Diaclone Orion-X_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Diaclone City Battle (Face-down)_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Magnet Reverse_
  * _One Day of Peace_
  * _Allied Diaclone Star_
  * _(3 others)_



**Banished:**

  * _Prime Allied Diaclone Orion_
  * _Allied Diaclone Orion_



* * *

Chipp would gently rub a drop of sweat that had perspired from his forehead, knowing what treacherous territory he and his tag partner were about to venture into. Yuusuke was fairly in the dark compared to his comrade, only knowing of Akiko’s reputation through word of mouth and nothing more… But even so, her true reputation preceded her immensely from just what he had heard from both himself, and the other students. Thus it was up to Chipp to fend her off with the resources he had in order to give Yuusuke the opportunity to finish her off, doing what he could to keep her from achieving her winning image. “Alright…” he grit, turning an eye to Alisson. He wasn’t about to let her down.

“Yuusuke, I’ll take things from here…” The silver haired boy said, slipping a card off the top of his deck and exclaiming, “I draw!”. It wouldn’t take long for him to glance over the cards and formulate a plan for her. Even if he wasn’t prepared, he was still calculated when, and where it counted… And with his topdeck, it wouldn’t take him but a few seconds to completely plot out his turn. “Let’s dance pinkie..!” he said while casting out his hand.

‘I already know what she’s got face down, so I gotta do as much damage as I can this turn so Yuusuke can finish her off…’ Chipp thought to himself before taking one of the cards in his hand and holding it out. “I activate the spell card, ‘ _Fiendish Fusion_ ’!’ he called out before inserting the card into the spell and trap zone of his duel disk, causing a violet vortex to appear behind him. From his graveyard, two of his monsters would be dispensed for him to use as materials for the forthcoming summon. “This card lets me Fusion Summon a FIRE attribute Fiend monster using any monsters in my hand or grave, one of them being shuffled back into my deck.” He said before shuffling back in the two monsters targeted as materials, ‘ _Scarlet-Eyes Impkin’_ and ‘ _Scarlet-Eyes Swordsman’_ , who promptly appeared in solid vision before the vortex.

“The blazing flame becomes captured in the eyes of the creature who will bring your end...!” The fusionist chanted with his eyes closed as he held his hands together, simulating the joining forces of the two monsters behind them as they were absorbed into the vortex. Suddenly he would open his gaze as he summoned his second fusion monster, “Fusion Summon! Arise, _‘Scarlet-Eyes Destructor Dragon’_!” he cried as the vortex behind him erupted into a blazing figure, a radiant dragon who let out a guttural cry, whipping it’s head around and careening down upon Akiko.

“Wooooah!” Allison would elicit as she stood to her tiptoes next to the dueling platform, nearly toppling over in the midst of the amazing sight before her. She wasn’t expecting a show like this, and had forgotten the petty squabble which had occurred several minutes ago… Ryan meanwhile would look on alongside the rest of his group, somewhat torn on which side he felt was the one to root for considering his background with Yuusuke. “Kid’s are good, I have to give them that…” Ryan said, queuing a response from Yori, “But we have no idea just how _good_ Hayashi is…” as Kenji finished the commentary with “From what I know she’s even crazier than me..!!” to which Kishi rolled her eyes. “I know _my_ sis’ can do this..!”

And she certainly could… The pink haired female would only smile at the monster and remark, “Ooh~ Quite the risky move bringing out that number.” Akiko replied in response to Chipp’s summon, her index finger raising to be placed on the edge of her faint grin. “Now will this help or harm you is the real question...” she remarked, already knowing well the effects of this newly summoned monster. And how the contents of her deck were well equipped for.

“We’ll just have to see… For now I’ll be using Destructor Dragon’s effect! When he’s summoned using Fiendish Fusion, I can destroy every monster in the main monster zone of everybody’s fields!” He stated as he held his arm to the side, his monster letting out a roar as the flames from its body spread onto the dueling arena. The Dragon’s heat would prove to be too strong for Yuusuke’s monster and Chipp’s own Infernal Dragon to bear, and he was soon destroyed. Yuusuke’s field was left completely empty now, though he knew well that Chipp did this for a _very specific_ reason…

“Such a shame, Orion-X is immune to monster effects so all you did was leave your little buddy vulnerable.” Akiko teased as she looked off towards the redhead she had taken intrigue in. Though as she would find out, Chipp was not one to forget a crucial detail like that like he had before. “Shut it..!” he then angrily barked.

“Destroying it wasn’t the plan, you forgot that Destructor Dragon sends a FIRE attribute Fiend from my deck to the grave for each monster he was able to destroy.” He said as he selected the card he planned to send to his graveyard, his deck promptly ejecting the card, allowing him to send the card off to his grave. “Remember this? It’s the ‘ _Scarlet-Eyes Stallion_ ’ you shuffled back into my deck during your last turn.” He said as he held the card up, soon placing it in the graveyard to move onto the second step of his counter attack. “Now Stallion’s effect will activate in the grave, dealing you 200 points of damage times the level of Orion-X!” He declared as a cluster of nine separate flames appeared around Akiko and dealt her 1800 points of damage, causing her to grunt as her Life Point total was brought down to 3300.

“Mister Macaster is making quite the show, wouldn’t you say?” Z-4 stated as she turned her gaze from the monitor towards Kaiba. She would take note of his eyes looking not in the direction of the turn player, but the young boy who now owned the cards which defeated his rival, examining everything from his expression to the way he held his cards. Z-4 would only smile before turning her attention back towards the monitor, not bothering with requesting for a reply. Kaiba had always been like this when being introduced to a kind of power he’d have thought was unweildable or just out of his grasp. Whether it was the elusive fourth ‘Blue-Eyes White Dragon’ that led him to meeting Yugi all those years ago, or the divine might of the Egyptian Gods, power was his only fixation he had in his youth… Now it was all he had left…

“Pull up every file on that Synchro Ward student, Kagami Yuusuke…” He ordered. The android by his side would lean forward in a bow before chirping back with a “Yes, Master Kaiba~” and departing to grab his records from the school database.

The damage Akiko had taken prior was enough to set her back slightly, cocking her head coyly as if to say; ‘is that all you got.’ With that she would smile, grinning even as Yuusuke and Chipp looked at one another, a holographic display on the iris of both of their Duel Disks would show them their hands, and adding more coordination and even more of a plan to demolish her board. However Chipp wasn’t about to be outdone and simply exclaimed “Battle…!” knowing well what she had set. He wasn’t stupid and simply let Akiko exclaim “Not so fast…!” with a grin, then activating her trap card… “I activate, Diaclone City Battle…!” whilst her previously developed trap card finally made its appearance. “Nice try pinkie… But you won’t scare me with that crap this time” he said, still leaving him a chance to respond with a counter before it set in. “I activate ‘RED REBOOT’..! _”_ while flipping up a trap card of his own.

“What’s this?!” Akiko then said while Chipp held out his arm, “Red Reboot will negate that shitty trap of yours, and for the rest of this turn you can’t activate trap cards _PERIOD_!” he explained with a grimace. “It will let you set another trap card directly from your Deck… But knowing your deck, you’ve used both of your shitty trap cards…!” he continued to furiously rage, Akiko playing a face-down ‘ _Trap Trick’_ with a frown, and his monster displaying prime aggression whilst baring its teeth. “Now, without wasting time…!” he prepared, his monster getting down upon all fours and raring up a plume of distorted air… Heat..! Chipp commanded his monster; “Attack her crummy machine with **_Scarlet Heat Plume_** …!” he said, his monster ramping up the heat despite the difference in their attack values… “My monster’s effect activates..!” he said whilst the Dragon bumped up to _5500!_

“When a monster he battles is Level 6 or higher, he gains attack points equal to the monster he’s _demolishing_ …!” he exclaimed while his monster would pulse red throughout it’s leathery hide, “And so once again, your monster is _toast_ …!” In that moment Destructor Dragon’s flames would unleash themselves upon Orion-X, and without mercy cause a plume of crimson fire to exhume the ground and raise her monster up, dispersing it in it’s entirety and slamming her with a further 2500 points of Damage, bringing her down to 800 life points. “Eat shit pinkie… I end my turn…” Chipp finally remarked. Akiko was laughing.

“Haha… ‘Eat shit’, huh?” Akiko said in response and breaking her character for a moment. This sullied her delirium. Her exhilaration with the game and made her angry, thus she put on a happy face whilst drawing for her turn. “Watch your language, little toad…” she then said, “I draw.” Before her facial expression broke composure, her eyes now ogling at what was in front of her… “

* * *

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Destructor Dragon_



**Spell/Trap Zone** :

  * _Facedown (1)_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Infernal Dragon_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Stallion_
  * _Fiendish Fusion_
  * _(5 others)_



**Banished:**

_(10 Facedowns)_

**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Main Deck: 31

Extra Deck: 13

Hand: 4

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Vacant_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Vacant_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Accel HERO Blade_
  * _Form Ride - Blade_
  * _Accel HERO Decade_
  * _Mystical Space Typhoon_
  * _(3 others)_



**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

800 LP

Hand: 0

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Vacant_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Facedown (Trap Trick)_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Super Prime Allied Diaclone Orion-X_
  * _Magnet Reverse_
  * _One Day of Peace_
  * _(3 others)_



**Banished:**

  * _Prime Allied Diaclone Orion_


  * Allied Diaclone Orion



* * *

“Alright then tough guy…” Akiko elicit, “How about we teach you some manners then?” she cackled, extending out her hand to reveal the face of a spell card, “I activate Card of Demise..!” she exclaimed, “And your demise will soon come…” she continued to chuckle, drawing off not one, not two… But five cards from the top of her Deck. “Of course you will take no damage, but it’s a small drawback compared to what I have in store now…” the woman said while ogling at her cards. She didn’t need to Fusion Summon, _no._ She has a better idea… “I will set two cards face-down, and _end_ my turn…” she said with a chuckle, not quite expecting what she got from that. “That’s new…” she’d say, just loud enough to catch Chipp off guard.

Now was the time… Yuusuke was left to finish things off, needing to deal the very last bit of damage to deliver the victory. He would place a hand on his deck before feeling a sense of dread shoot throughout his body, his blood feeling as if it were freezing over, a burning sensation growing in the back of his neck. The onlookers of the duel, Chipp included, would look on as Yuusuke stood rigid as a statue, save for his trembling right hand. “Yus’?” Chipp said, trying to grab his attention whilst he found himself stuck, staring once again into Akiko’s magenta eyes. It’s like he could hear her in his head… ‘Aren’t you gonna play?’ over and over.

“Pepperhead…?” Allison uttered as she watched one of her friends stand and suffer before a seemingly non-existent threat, “Hey! You’ve got her right where you want her!”. “Heh, he’s cracking under the pressure!” Kenji laughed, a smarmy grin plastered on his face. “Two facedowns us all it takes to get him scared shitless? I knew him getting in was a fluke!”. Allison would look back over at the obnoxious upperclassmen, her eyebrows furrowing as a low growl emanated from her. “No… It’s not that…” Ryan stated, looking on in concern over his old acquaintance. “The odds are good, he’s just overthinking it…” he said.

Yuusuke’s gaze turned towards the scar just barely covered up by his outdated duel disk, the rigid position he had beginning to tremble apart as his breathing grew heavier and heavier. Time seemed to slow to a halt for Yuusuke in the midst of his near panic attack, trying to push himself to make a move, not wanting to let Chipp down, but at the same time in fear of what he knew was near… _“Yusuke!”_

A distant voice called out, his moment of panic breaking as he listened closely to a voice he could have sworn he heard before. He turned behind, only to find no one but those who were watching the duel initially. He blinked before turning back to look back at the field, then back to his tag partner. “Dog, we’re still in it, just use Monster Reborn and kill her ass…!” Chipp said as Yuusuke slowly regained his breath, his sense of dread suddenly gone. He turned his attention back towards the card he was about to draw before closing his eyes. “You can play through anything with this shit, like the _Masked Duelist!”_ he said, once again going back to the original holder of those cards.

‘I can’t let the past keep me from going forward… No matter what I’ve been through, I still got through it!’ The young duelist thought to himself before clasping the card on the top of his deck. “It’s go time… I draw!” he called out, swiftly swiping the top card of his deck off and into his hand. ‘Damnit’... He said while looking down at the card in hand, once again another brick of all things… More useless junk. “I-I…” he said while Ryan’s words came true, he was overthinking things. “I think I’ll activate my trap card in your standby phase, ‘Geek Boy’...” Akiko said in a smug remark. Still completely confident despite the disparity of her own situation. She _knew_ it wouldn’t take much for him to crack. Thus she says, “You’re going to have a lot to learn if you want to beat an inheritor, _boy_ … I activate ‘Trap Trick’..~!” she boasted, then banishing off a copy of ‘ _Blazing Mirror Force_ ’ and setting one, causing Chipp to exclaim. “Yuusuke, she’s just playing a trick…! Come on!! She’ll end up killing herself…!” he said.

And he certainly was right, there was nothing she could do. She couldn’t respond with a hand trap. She couldn’t respond with a potential grave effect. No. Because he’d drawn into ‘ _Called by the grave’._ “I activate my spell card… Monster Reborn…!” the redhead exclaimed whilst targeting Decade, forcing out a grin from Akiko. “Ah-ah-ah~” she said, smiling fondly at him in a rather condescending manner. It’s as if it was _premeditated_ as she dropped a copy of ‘Ghost Belle & Haunted Mansion’ in response. “I’ve got this now…” Yuusuke said in response, getting things back together and picking up the skill he _knew_ he had and said, “I activate ‘Called by the grave’, to _target_ your ghost belle and negate its effects…!” he then vocalized, another one of her victorian ghost girls beginning to manifest and ward off a spectral ankh to rebirth his Decade, and then in-turn forcing out a spectral hand to tear the earth they stood upon and grab her monster. “Don’t cling to false hope…” Akiko said in response.

“I activate my trap card… **_BIG BURN!_ ** _”_ the magenta haired girl cried, Chipp immediately turning to his side and soon realizing _that_ was the trick… “What?!” he shouted, then looking at his graveyard automatically banishing off the majority of its contents along with Yuusuke’s, and as it stood… There was no coming back from this. Unless… “Try harder pinkie, I activate my trap card…” he exclaimed, “‘Return from the Different Dimension’!” The trap would soon open up a portal above the arena, summoning back a full field of Yuusuke and Chipp’s monsters. “It’ll cost us half our life points to summon out as many of our monsters that have been banished as we want, but it’ll be a small price to pay to finish you off!” Chipp said as he gave a thumbs up to his tag partner.

With that, each of their fields would then open up in an eclipsing holy glowing vortex opening at their feet to once again revive their monsters… _Blade, Decade, HERO Frame, Hypernova, Infernal Dragon, Wyvern, Stallion, Swordsman._ Chipp’s call was correct, and their field was now back in action. “I’ve played against you too many times back in the fusion ward…” Chipp said, his friend looking back to him with a reassuring nod, exclaiming “I activate the effect of Accel HERO Decade, letting me add ‘Form Ride - Agito’ to my hand!”, and freely allowing his deck to extend the card for him to add to his hand. “Now go ‘Accel HERO Decade’,” he commanded as his ace monster lept upwards into the air to strike at the enemy player and deliver the finishing blow, “Rider Kick!” whilst Alisson’s eyes alit at the marvel of their comeback. “Damn…” Kenji would say beneath his breath...

It’s then when Kishi looked up to see the very edge of Akiko’s spell and trap zone… Eyes opening wide whilst the inheritors began to grovel in their team member’s defeat at the hands of some mutts wielding legendary cards… But alas, even breaking back from that there was no hope, a small smirk would grow in the girl’s face at Yuusuke’s hasty declaration, “So sad.” she simply stated before going on ahead and activating her trap card. “I activate the trap, ‘Blazing Mirror Force’!” She stated as she held out her arm, her opponents looking on in shock at her bizarre choice, “It’s been fun boys…”

* * *

**Chipp: (Turn 1)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Destructor Dragon_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Infernal Dragon_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Stallion_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Swordsman_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Facedown (1)_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Fiendish Fusion_
  * (2 others)



**Banished:**

_(10 Facedowns)_

**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Hand: 4

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Accel HERO Blade_
  * _Accel HERO Decade_
  * _Xtra HERO Hypernova_
  * _HERO Frame_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Vacant_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Form Ride - Blade_
  * Mystical Space Typhoon
  * Unexpected Dai



**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

800 LP

Hand: 0

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Vacant_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Blazing Mirror Force_
  * Facedown (1)



**Graveyard:**

  * _Big Burn_
  * _Magnet Reverse_
  * _(2 others)_



**Banished:**

  * _Prime Allied Diaclone Orion_
  * Allied Diaclone Orion
  * Super Prime Allied Diaclone Orion-X
  * (3 others)




	12. Cry for the Moon, Part 5

“But it’s time for this _to END!”_ Akiko exclaimed whilst her trap card was activated, a barrier appearing over her side of the field to block the attack of Yuusuke’s monster. “Gyia!” Decade would grunt whilst being pushed back by an energy bubble, his feet planting in and shattering through to unleash a torrent of flames and radiant energy, breaking the barrier down and causing him to be extinguished from the game. A faint “ _No…”_ would echo from the monster whilst the energy barrier burst, emitting a sound akin to a wind chime and shattering glass before the flames of destruction overtook the energy and annihilated the entire board, bringing their game to an unceremonious end… Everyone present shielded their eyes whilst the light died down.

“And to think you were _so_ close, just a sliver of damage was all you needed to deal.” she said rather smugly, the face of a spell card face-up on her side of the field whilst the light died out. And both boys who hadn’t lost even a single life point were now at 0 despite being never touched… “Did you honestly think… In your heart of hearts… That you were even _close_ to victory…?” Akiko said whilst the last of the light drowned out into billowing smoke, phasing out and glitching whilst the game ended and showing the card she had activated… _Diaclone Corps._

__

* * *

_(Some cards might have been changed between chapters for DuelingBook balancing)_

**Chipp: (Turn 2)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Hand: 3

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Scarlet-Eyes Destructor Dragon_
  * _Scarlet-Eyes Infernal Dragon_
  * Scarlet-Eyes Wyvern
  * Scarlet-Eyes Stallion
  * Scarlet-Eyes Swordsman



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Vacant_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Fiendish Fusion_
  * _(2 others)_



**Banished:**

_(10 Facedowns)_

**Yuusuke: (Turn 3)**

8000 LP (Shared)

Hand: 4

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Accel HERO Blade_
  * _Accel HERO Decade_
  * Xtra HERO Hypernova
  * HERO Frame



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Vacant_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Form Ride - Blade_
  * _Mystical Space Typhoon_
  * Unexpected Dai



**Akiko: (Turn 2)**

800 LP

Hand: 0

**Monster Zone:**

  * _Vacant_



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * _Blazing Mirror Force_
  * _Diaclone Corps_



**Graveyard:**

  * _Big Burn_
  * _Magnet Reverse_
  * (2 others)



**Banished:**

  * _Prime Allied Diaclone Orion_
  * _Allied Diaclone Orion_
  * Super Prime Allied Diaclone Orion-X
  * (3 others)



* * *

With that the two boys would freeze up. Outdone by probability of all things… Just when they thought they were making a turn around to win that turn, they hadn’t expected that of all things. Not even Chipp could turn an eye to Yuusuke, biting his bottom lip intensely. Mistakenly calling out the order to _kill_ when he should’ve saved his trap card. He threw down the remaining cards in his hand, revealing ‘ _Hey Trunade’_ , “Damnit..!!” he cursed aloud. As he did a giant rumble would then overcome the arena; causing the viewing parties window to let out an obnoxious rattle in the room whilst the arena doors opened to reveal a downpour of rain. “Looks like it’s the end for these two.” Kenji said with a grin as he looked down at the two of them struggling, getting what they deserved in his mind. The silver haired fusionist would comically scream as he slammed his fist repeatedly against the floor of the arena, causing his dropped cards to bounce upon the platform with each impact.

Akiko would cross her arms as she looked back at the angry mess of a teen before her, a sight she was more than familiar with by this point, as was the up close perspective of the floor to the defeated duelist. “If you’re going to cry and grovel like a feral wolf than you might as well _cry for the moon_ while your at it…” she said, stepping to Chipp’s defeated self, very clearly meaning to antagonize him now that the delirium and _rush_ of the duel had concluded. She was composed once again… “You knew how this would go, even if it wasn’t me…” Akiko then said, stepping to Chipp and helping him collect his cards, picking each one up one by one and inspecting them… “Your taste in _bad_ cards still persists I see…” she said, Chipp looking back up at his old rival. “Don’t worry though…” she said before the pain, placing her gloved hand up to cup his cheek and force him to look whilst two staff members entered the arena, about to escort them from the premises; _“_ You were _close…”_ she coldly stated, tapping his cheek lightly to let out an audible _‘pap!’_ before adjusting her cape and turning around.

Yuusuke would watch before letting out a concerned chuckle, not nearly as distraught over the loss. He’d soon walk over to pull his friend off the floor, “Hey! Calm down, you're gonna end up denting your cards!!” he chimed, Chipp now gripping his cards; seething. “I’m gonna kill that pink haired punk!!” he stammered, getting back to his feet in a huff whilst the staff members merely motioned to the inheritors who had already begun to make their leave quietly. Unfocused upon by the other group before a child’s voice said; “Uh, Yuusuke…” Alisson said from the sidelines, pointing to a member of security, “I think we gots to go now…”. The redhead promptly froze up in fear that he was about to be put in detention, or even suspended for this stunt the two parties pulled.

“Tch… I knew this was a bad idea from the start, you couldn’t have just dueled in the park…” Yori stated as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “Not like you really said anything, poindexter.” Ryan remarked as he turned his head towards him, patting him almost _too hard_ on the back whilst one of the security members helped Akiko down from the platform. Saying aloud to the group; “None of you are in trouble, just don’t use this place after hours, if you want to practice do it in the park…” the guard said whilst Yori turned to finally emote at Ryan with a grin. “I told you so…” the stoic man said, getting the last laugh whilst the team left the premises, all 5 of their symbols etching into the lower-class duelists brains.

“Which one of you is Kagami Yuusuke?” The guard said before placing his arm behind his back, causing Yuusuke to be stricken by fear and immediately breaking down into a plea, “Um… that depends.” he said extremely worried before the two guards stood side by side only to say; “You aren’t in trouble either, so cool it.” in a stern tone, then brandishing his own Duel Disk to transmit a small blue data stream from iris to iris. “Mr. Kaiba himself wants to have a meeting with you…” he then said. “You are to report to his office _first thing_ after class this Monday morning. He says himself that…” 

“Failure to comply will result in punishment for this little stunt…” the real Kaiba elicit, looking down to echo his words into the viewing box whilst his assistant prepared everything to shut down and leave for the night. He grinned, the prospect of the duelist below even wielding those cards striking his dueling nerve. For the first time in decades he had the same curious enthusiasm to his latent power just as he did the Pharaoh Atem. Yugi. And if he had the same cards that ended his career so many years ago… Well, “He’s got a lot to learn…” Kaiba then said turning on his heels and beginning to quickly walk towards the door with Z-483LL in tow. “So what’s the plan now, master...?” she asked, turning her head and adjusting her posture to be rigid and firm like his. He replies; “We go home…”

“I’m not done with you, little ‘Miss Perfect’!!” He barked back with eyes white with rage, having to physically be held back as he flailed about. “Chipp, just get Allison. If you hit anyone we’ll end up with detention or worse!” he said before pulling him off of the platform and towards the steps. With a little grumbling, Chipp counted his losses and walked up to grab Alisson, who was already making her way down to chat with Akiko before they left, only to be grabbed by the collar by Chipp. She’d gag for a moment as she was pulled towards the exit, yelping like a puppy who had just been scorned, “Wait! I wanted to say bye!” she yelled at Chipp whilst cartoonishly flailing about. “Bad dog!” He retorted, snarling like a wolf himself.

Yuusuke would sigh as he placed a hand on his chest, soon taking his deck out from his duel disk as he looked back towards Akiko. The faint magenta haze. A _sense_ returning to him before she seemed to turn back, and look at him after taking her eyes off Chipp, “See you ‘round,” is what he would hear coming from her voice. Stricken once again by her darkened gaze, and lost in her eyes unaware of her unmoving lips. He says in return; “Y-Yeah… Who knows, maybe me and Chipp’ll win next time!” he said rather casually, as if the loss barely affected him. Now without warning watching her neck twist around and glitch whilst the magenta haze left his sight, and snapping back into reality as if the exchange of words had never occured. Both her and the inheritors were already gone…

“Man!!” Alisson shout whilst being dragged out, “I haven’t even gotten my dinner yet!!” she whimpered, the guard already making his leave whilst Yuusuke began running to catch up; “H-Hey! Wait up…!!” Yuusuke said in a hurried tone before rushing to the large double doors.

“So what’d you have in store for tonight…?” Z-4 said in her stark robotic tone. The draw from her voice is as emotionless as always, and rid of the fury of earlier in the week. It seems they have made amends... “None,” Kaiba said in response, pulling out his phone and pulling up a generic food delivery service. It seems everyone had gone starving tonight… Z-4 turns her head to view; “Why do you feel the need to order? You have personal chefs do you not?” she asks in a confused manner. “Because I’d rather not have any more company tonight… You are plenty enough as it is.” the CEO said choosing not to eat anyways... Z-4 turned her head questionably at him whilst her synthetic brain tried to comprehend and process whether the statement was a 0, or 1. Or in regular terms a positive remark, or sarcasm. The robot's eyes would shut whilst a whining chime escaped her speakers, confirming that she had taken it in a positive response.

With that the pair would step out into the hallway and begin making their way down the long hall that stretched into the adjacent dorms, walking through the second floor lobby and then into a maintenance elevator so that the pair could be undisturbed from starstruck children and other distractions. It was clear by the older man’s body language that he was tired. Making a sigh whilst his assistant remote-called for the elevator and stepped in. “Pardon me, my master…” she said whilst they began the journey upwards a dozen floors, taking off her shoes whilst the elevator hatch shut and stepping onto the cold metal ground. Furthermore she would take off the coat he had given her earlier in the week, ogling at the rather odd display whilst he finally got a look at the uniform underneath. “What are you..?” he said questionably, not ready for her rather unannounced disrobe before she turned aside and said; “I have no extremities, and I am typically bare down to my chassis normally” she said coldly.

It’s not that Kaiba necessarily cared… But the proposition of what looked like a female stripping in front of him wasn’t necessarily the most comfortable thing. Even if she had no _true_ indication of gender or sex, _she_ still definitely looked like a full figured _she._ And to this day he still couldn’t quite comprehend this Duelist Support System in comparison to the others which acted in a much more rigid and bare-bones manner. Z-4 turned her head to emotionlessly state; “Don’t you like buxom women…?”, causing Kaiba to further his mood’s raising ‘temperature’ to the boiling point to retort with “Don’t say things like that…” the android very quickly snapping back with “Isn’t Ishizu Ishtar one of your _close_ friends…?” shutting him up. An audible ‘ _ping!’_ Then filled the elevator, Kaiba’s phone reading out Z-4’s temperature going well past its limits and explaining just why she had removed but a few of her layers including his old white jacket.

“Why didn’t you say you were overheating-” Kaiba said before Z-4 quickly snapped back with an immediate response, almost cutting him off to say “You didn’t inquire about my temperatures.”. He groaned… His robot acting complacent in a way, malfunctioning perhaps. “How is your SSD?”, “Healthy” she said in retort. “Your writing speed?”, “I am currently writing eighty gigabytes a second. Visual memory is writing at over a hundred at 300 FPS. 12k” she then said, her systems fine yet bogged down simply due to heat. “You’re thermal throttling yourself…” he said. “Let’s get your heat issue fixed…” Kaiba then sighed whilst their elevator reached its destination into the back of his penthouse, automatically turning on dim lighting to the hallway which led into the bulk of his apartment.

Without wasting any time Kaiba would direct his assistant to the main room, darkened by the night sky and accentuated in a rather moody tone by the pale yellow lights which lined the trim upon all of the walls of the rather massive space. She turned to view her master once again who had already begun taking a small booklet-shaped array of screw bits open, trying to find the right one for her. “Z-4, turn on the lights” he commanded, her irises glowing a lighter, much more _off_ shade of blue than normal whilst the main lights turned on and illuminated herself in the uniform he had made just for her.  
  
Kaiba couldn’t help but ogle for an extra second, looking at his assistant in wonderment at his own genius for a split second while affixing a torx bit to his screwdriver and getting to a single knee to inspect her. This was the first time all week he’d been able to inspect her in this fine-fitting uniform and truly gain an appreciation for its craftsmanship, something he couldn’t help but marvel in just as he did his own uniforms. But alas it was pale in comparison to the thing that wore the clothing. And so he undid a button upon the shirt she wore underneath the tailored jacket to reveal her navel, pressing his finger against it to cause a small part within the jet-black material and finding her opening. She asks, “My receptors feel much more sensitive.” she complained. “It’s because the inner layer of this life fibre is warmer than the outside…” he noted. Naming just what her ‘skin’ was, an artificial skin-like material that felt, moved, and acted like skin. Yet had the subtle texturing of kevlar, and the durability of steel.

What it lacked in realistic color certainly was durability. However it could be dyed at the cost of its durability. Something the robot had chosen against of her own volition, choosing instead for her main body to be jet black, and her face to be dyed a stark white. Unnatural, but to many intensely beautiful. Kaiba began to part another 3 portions of the fibre, unscrewing the plate which held down the skin and beginning to pull it away to reveal her core, swirling around within a gyrosphere which began to spin around and face Kaiba, revealing it’s glowing red center. He ogled. “It’s not your uniform…” he said, “What is the issue then, master…?” she asked in response, looking down at him whilst he looked up at her. “It’s just a dust buildup… Nothing major” he noted. “Walk” he commanded, leading her to his bedroom to apply the simple fix.

Kaiba would then open up the door to his bedroom, refraining from turning on the lights as the main foyer gave off more than enough to guide himself to the bathroom. Z-4 still following and stopping at the door as per a hand gesture. “Apologies for troubling you, Mr. Kaiba” the android said in a sincere tone now with emotion. Her core dying down in heat due to the airflow to which he said; “It’s nothing, I’d rather not have one of my machines breaking down. This is simply maintenance…” he sterned while taking out a hair dryer and setting it to its lowest heat. “Besides, after all the self improvements you’ve made it’d be even more of a waste…” the older man elicited. Z-483LL once again takes a moment to process that as a complement, or sarcasm. And just like before; it was the latter. 

A simple _click_ , and the _whooshing_ of air would soon cause the dust to simply escape her core, spinning around and casting off it’s heat further as he did, the RGB lighting of it finally going down from a moderate yellow. To a lower green. And then to red. “Z-4?” he asked, the robot’s odd behavior finally straightening itself out to say “I’m alright, my master…” before taking her own plate and returning it to the correct position, and awaiting Kaiba to screw it back into place. “Could you turn on the lights in the bedroom as well…?” he asked whilst hastily putting her navel plate back into place and screwing it shut. The seams of the artificial skin automatically sealing itself back together and becoming seamless with the rest of her jet black exterior. “Good…” he said. Getting up whilst the lights in the apartment ceased function, only illuminating his bedroom whilst Z-4 began to put her coat back on. Kaiba himself takes off his jacket and casts it to a chair in the corner. 

“Allow me to prepare your bed-” she now cut herself off, viewing the exhausted action whilst her jacket was half-put on and noting the subtle body language. His labored breathing after a long week. Ticking off more boxes in her head to take off her own coat and do a similar thing after putting together specific context clues. She dismissed her coat to a rack whilst he took off his tie. “Z-4…” he’d say, looking out of his peripheral vision to look at her turning down his bed, looking just past as he did a week prior and then to a picture of Mokuba, himself… And Z-4. Slowing down whilst a weight overtook him. A true sense of relaxation whilst a sort of clarity over set his ever busy mind. It’s as if years of silence once again had drowned out. No phone calls. No meeting at every hour of the day. And to his surprise; a free weekend. His eyes were fixated upon the photo alone, his gaze more stoic and hardened than usual despite this wave of relaxation whilst he looked at the tag on his brother’s shirt in the photo, obscured, yet clear to him reading Interim CEO. 

“Z-4… When was that photo taken…?” he asked, pointing up to which his robot answered; "July 31st, 2039” in a simple tone, “When I first got my life fibre and you gave me a name” not noticing the only thing off about the photograph, which was her own appearance. Her hair was far shorter, along with her body. She was less buxom, much more androgynous. Not yet the way she was today looking much like the previously mentioned Ishizu. “Why did you ever change yourself?” he asked, a wistful tone in his voice. Not fractured. But lost as if he had to _truly_ notice her gradual change of self augmentation and change in body just as his, or Mokuba’s. Z-4’s eyes would glow for a moment, stalling. Loading…

And lastly turning her head around, a simulated smile forming upon her face for her to answer him simply with; “I changed myself to look like the humans you find comfort with…” she said, chuckling. “I grew up with you…” ended her statement. Innocently continuing to drag out his night wear whilst Kaiba tracked her curvaceous form all throughout. “I see…” is all he said in response, taken aback by such a _human_ statement. Feeling a sense of camaraderie that he had only felt with his brother. And for once he finally saw his robotic companion as _family_ to an extent. As much family as an AI could be. He thought to himself ‘Her feelings are merely observations, but…’ he said once again, in disbelief that she could think of such complexities. Glancing back at the photo of her and Mokuba together. Both look similar in age to each other.

Both smiling… Standing next to each other. And remembering her learning phase being spent shadowing Mokuba. And learning… But what exactly did he teach her all those years ago to finally be manifesting here...


	13. Confronting the Darkness, Part 1

“It’ll be better next time Chipp…”, “What do you mean next time!! The only next time will be in a test or some shit and I _know_ I’ll be clobbered..!!” two young boys bickered, a groan and a grumble escaping the third of their party who was sat in the taller of the two boys’ arms, nodding and grumbling, a few short yips escaping her throat in a tired sense whilst she let out a command. “Stop yapping you mongs…” she wearily elicit, the tail-end of her statement coming with a high pitched squeak as they came up to the dorms of the academy, the lobby slightly dim and visibly filled with many students gathered around, still meeting each other from various wards and showing off their personal decks rather than the ones the academy supplied to them as standard.

“Tsk…” Chipp said, “Guess it’s time to turn in…” Alisson yawning herself then jumping out of his arms, “Yeah… Akiko is awfully nice…! We should do that again someti-” she chimed before Chipp drew his arm back up and then down atop her head gently, shutting her up like an annoying alarm clock before turning an eye to Yuusuke who would simply look to the other end of the street, to all of the local shops closing and the city slowly shutting itself down. Just years ago New York was known as the city that never slept, and now… 11:00 PM. Every night. “Yus’?” Chipp asked, trying to get his attention only to have his companion turn back and shake his head; “I think I’m going to go on a walk for a little bit, I need to think about combos… Her deck isn’t midrange, it isn’t entirely combo... It’s like a control-combo-mish mash-thingy… I just need some air.” He’d say, beginning to take his leave before briefly turning around and asking; “Oh! We still haven’t eaten yet, if you get anything from the commissary get me some soup and a sandwich, doesn’t matter which!” before turning a blind eye to his friends and leaving onwards.

“Alright then tyke, let’s get you back to wherever you guys go…” Chipp snarled in response, their voices drowned out by Yuusuke’s earbuds being swiftly put in, and then whisked away by the sound of mid-eighties nostalgia. ‘Catch my breath, close my eyes… Don’t believe a word entered his mind whilst he listened to Cutting Crew, I’ve been in Love Before.’ As he made his way down the street, past other groups of students he couldn’t help but remember the particular phrasings and wordings of not Akiko’s cards, but her own careful demeanor and thought the day prior. The subtleties within her speech just barely clicked, carrying herself as if she knew exactly what was to happen… Playing through Chipp’s set cards, something he didn’t even know. He’d raise his wrist and briefly look at the replay of the duel whilst listening ‘Things she said, overheard. Something wrong inside…’

“He had…” Yuusuke said, ‘Hit you in a minute, ooh. Then you know you’re in it.’ “‘Fake Trap’…?” the boy questioned, “She didn’t even try to clear it before making a reckless move like that… Or…” ‘I’ve been in love before. I’ve been in love before…’ played in his head. Nodding and walking to the gentle melody whilst walking past darkened windows and getting hints of magenta glows in his eye, feeling as if eyes were on him. As if she was still ever-present in his mind whilst he continued to walk down the street before falling to silent in the pre-dawn hours. As he continued to drift down the street he couldn’t help but take closer notice at the magenta glint in his eyes, looking into the shop windows barred against the perils of the night; he noticed. A neon sign emerged from within a dream-like mist and brought his psyche to a vice grip, commanding him to look inside and view a display of old TVs playing audibly just like in the movies.

But there was only one thing amiss… They were playing _backwards…_ A brief static fuzz would draw color out of his vision, overcome by the ever-present magenta haze whilst the dials of the TVs in unison began to _click, click, click_ rapidly, the numbers in the TVs channels flicking to green across scanlines and film grain whilst he tore his earbuds out, quickly falling into paranoia before the clicks morphed into the running footsteps of thousands, and the ever-present electronic _humm_ came down like roaring fire upon his ears. “Tonight's story is somewhat unique and calls for a different kind of introduction… A monster has arrived in the village. The major ingredient of any recipe for fear is the unknown, and this person or _thing_ is soon to be met. He knows every thought, he can feel every emotion… Oh yes, I did forget something didn't I? I forgot to introduce you to the monster…”

“I have to get back…!” Yuusuke exclaimed to himself whilst the televisions all simultaneously flipped to a magenta glow, beginning to turn back around, trying not to succumb to what he could only feel as a delusion, paranoia. An attack. He very quickly would pick up his earbuds and begin to run back to the dorms to seek some help for what ailed him, but found himself running endlessly, unable to find where the dorms were. It’s as if they had completely vanished, and in the darkness he was unable to find _where_ he was, or _who_ he exactly was. Everything seemed so much bigger, so much more ominous. But at the same time the pavement was familiar, the placement of manholes and signs were. As the mist of the night changed to a full fog, the pressure within the city drew high, heat became present _everywhere._ And unable to take it all, Yuusuke would run but a few steps more before keeling over and vomiting into the streets, his composure running dry once again whilst the TV he had just written off as an illusion was still right behind him. The host of whatever black and white horror show then appears on the news.

“ **_Breaking news…_ ** _”_ he said in a stern tone, now it seemed as though _all_ of time was flowing backwards as he announced the date; “April 11th, 2042. It is sad to announce that within the rubble of the New York attacks; Yugi Muto has been found **_dead._ ** _”_ whilst the announcers head began to twist and turn, flowing backwards, the audio distorting and deepening before the horizon was broken by a shaft of golden light pushing upwards and dying out… Only to be replaced by a pale yellow hue whilst the streets began to form cracks. “We are here now covering _live_ … It is April 10th, **_2042_ ** in New York City where the scene can only be described as _horrific._ If the times weren’t already strange enough, and the world was as divided and chaotic as is… We are here to announce that five monsters of _titanic_ proportions have invaded our earth and killed _most_ of the population of the Big Apple. All of the worlds leaders and conflicts have seemingly ceased in the aftermath as thousands of strange black cards belonging to the game Duel Monsters have rained from the sky causing some to believe they will herald in a great plague…”

Yuusuke once again began to stand to his feet, the audio still escaping from his earbuds filling his ears the same as the news did, “Ruined most is Queens, where many children now roam wandering and lost…”, tears filling Yuusuke’s eyes. “Please, no…” before carrying off; “The scene can only simply be described as _tortuous…”_ whilst he ran into the fog of the night, smacking himself endlessly whilst a downpour began, thunder in the distance whilst he tried to wake up from this nightmare. A sound akin to tolling bells would be heard, five sets of red-eyes watching him from the skies above on a street, so unequivocally evil that hell disowned them… Those eyes within the dark watching upon him only told him where he continued to tread was trouble, whilst the sense of danger shot through his spine with a similar updraft of wind, and a fairy-like whisper scattering wind and shattering every single window around him, _a monster._

The song then playing: Torture. The un-ending nightmare continued to build in intensity, picking up with him casting gaze at signage indicating that he was no longer in Manhattan, but queens. Not able to ground himself in reality for this was _impossible._ He was reliving something he had sworn to forget over seven years ago, from the darkness a monsters ear-shattering roar once again cast up debris, bellowing down upon his ears like a hand striking terribly against a double bass whilst an unseen but felt monster flapped its wings and landed to the ground; shaking his vision and casting up a giant chunk of rock upwards and slashing against his arm causing him to yell in fear, and searing pain whilst his nerve endings split. The monster would then take to the skies. Three-headed, and _golden._ Clashing in the darkness of the skies and giving form to the two monsters which could only be described as a dragon of light, and a softened insectoid. 

From within the fog another glow of Magenta could be seen, standing stoically and outlined in deep white, the figure drew out a line. Beckoning him to come forth. This was a figure he _knew_ , but was already too late to catch up to whilst it bolted into the sky, joining the fight whilst the hellish battle continued and his vision cleared. The music finally striking his eardrums and playing out a hellish chorus; ‘Baby, ‘cause you cut me like a knife… Without your love in my life. Alone I walk in the night, ‘cause I just can’t stop this feeling.’ whilst he continued to run up the familiar streets and to the _one_ place he knew he could escape, but his eye once again was caught by the silhouette of a girl kicking down a fire-escape.

_She was up a stair to nowhere._

_A room forever I’ll remember._

_She stared as though I should have known her._

_“Tell me what’s your pain or pleasure?”_

Yuusuke without control would further be drawn in, compelled not by the magenta in his shadow to go forward, but was involuntarily forced to walk in the midst of something he felt was only… Familiar. And so he would soon duck into the alley, making his way frantically up steps and through a haze in his vision, finding himself caught within a room that was familiar, yet lost within his mind. Everything was amiss. Nothing was clear. He was unable to speak any further, unable to control himself. This nightmare was no longer under his control… He took a few steps forward, atop a desk outlooking yet another city, looking out of a window whilst the monsters continued to visibly rampage. Outside of the window there was a sign, well worn in a language he simply didn’t know, but was able to make out a single character as reading ‘God…’ Within the reflection he caught a glimpse of gold… 

A single fragment of metal caught in a well-worn box before the unmistakable rumbling of the ground caught his attention further, a huff, and the strange vibrato of an animal’s breath forcing his attention back to the window where an eye would peer into his soul… A cat-like eye… A familiar gaze… And he once again found his view obscured and flashing back in it’s attack. 

_She said reality is a knife._

_When there’s no love in your life._

_And merciful is the night_

_When you just can’t stop this feeling._

“Stop it…! Stop it…!” Yuusuke would shout, once again finding himself trapped within the perilous darkness, seeing faces of corpses he recognized on that day. The lifeless husks of souls and pale vessels clouding his judgement and being carried by emergency response personnel whilst the attacks continued all around. It’s as if reality around him was now subjective, and the events of the day and the tomorrow had mixed. All around him, the faces he saw upon his initiation walked, clouding the skies whilst the monsters continued to howl and fight amongst each other causing an endless destruction and loss of life. Singing their twisted song and dancing their horrific dance whilst a mix of the mutilated dead and still-living walked all around, obscuring all of his view before finding himself once again within the halls of the union academy, a cross section in the hallways and just _barely_ catching a glimpse of Akiko. She was staring back at him…

_And I still can't find the meaning. No, no, no…_

_Of the face I keep on seeing…_

_Was she real? Or am I dreaming…?_

_Did the sound of your name, turn a wheel, start the flame in me…_

_Yuusuke…_

She said, calling out for him directly whilst the space between them seemed to fall out of space, and send them both in a freefall of sorts, glitching in and out of the spaces in and out of reality whilst an endless cavalcade of stories and visions eclipsed their view in windows, all five of the monsters standing within the endless falling void of darkness and casting an unheard judgement upon them… Inscribing their souls with their eyes and beckoning a sixth figure whilst he reached out his hand at the falling girl who could only call out once again… “Yuusuke…” and urging him further forwards. “Yuusuke…” she said, the girl’s face turning to shock, surprise, and furthermore reaching out as if she had truly noticed him.

The passing of his memories and hers quickly felt like the passing of a lifetime and the exchange of lexicons… As their sixteen years continued to fly by as they did; the panels and visions went blurrier. An entire span of their lives obscured by a pinkened haze whilst it all finally drew to their duel, and Decade’s attack. **Final Attack Ride…** Once again filled their ears whilst the sixth humanoid figure that could _only be_ clasped, his belt and warded off the monsters in a single flash, the endless black void perforating into a blinding white and then breaking away into an incomprehensible translucency like glass and slowing their descent, bringing their bodies into an eclipse, an embrace before freezing amidst the shattered fragments of time and space and simply falling once again as the glass hit the floor, Yuusuke overtop Akiko as if to commit intimacy whilst her eyes filled with tears.

“You shouldn’t be here…” she said in a stern voice, the stoic female’s face casting a sense of fragility, being broken down to tears. Her voice still stern and serious, unwavering. The light of her magenta and purple clothes and hair slowly begins to drown out and change to a black and white just as his vision, “Why are you here?” she asked, Yuusuke still unable to talk whilst her hands brought up to his chest, unable to move her body against his, yet still drawn further. She screams; “Yuusuke…!” half ecstatically, half in fear before his vision once again canted upwards to view a similar cats eye to hear, focusing back upon his angrily whilst the black and white of his vision continued to lose focus and increase in light, the entirety of this endeavor finally drawing out to a “Please don’t go…” as the _titanic beast_ drew its ugly head and cast out a mass of blue fire upon them both within the just developing setting being a room in the dorms. A room neither of them knew…

And as the scene finally drew out white Yuusuke _truly_ opened his eyes. The obnoxious beeping and whining of an LED alarm clock filling his ears whilst he woke up to the light of day, back in his bed at the academy and groaning, coming to truly ground himself back in reality and drawing a hand over his forehead, eyes widened and delirious after such a nightmare. _Ping!_ Would be heard escaping the phone on his night stand, a text message from Chipp in the adjacent bedroom sending [Dude, why are you so loud? I wanted to sleep in…], causing Yuusuke to groan and lay back in, texting him back, [Sorry, must’ve had a night terror] he sent in one message, [then again I haven’t had them in a year or two…] forcing a hasty response from Chipp; [Titan Impact?] he asks, the door to the other room audible opening whilst Yuusuke got up, turning to his barely cracked door and making sure he could speak by saying; “Yeah…How’d you-?”

“I can only think of one thing that’d make anyone scream like that...” He said, looking down towards his hands before pulling the sheets back over his head. “I’m goin’ back to bed… Christ…” He said, Yuusuke then turned back around and shut his door before carefully looking at the top bar of his phone to see the date, Monday… “What…?” he said to himself before reversing his action and _bolting_ out of the door, yelling for Chipp. “Chipp, it’s Monday, we made a mistake!!” Yuusuke exclaimed, beating on his door with the flat of his palm before turning to the bathroom and immediately drawing a shower for himself. “Wha- How? That’s impossible!” he said in response, similarly charging out of his room in shock that the weekend had already gone that fast. However that wasn’t Yuusuke’s main concern, ‘nor his roommate rather angrily charging out of his bedroom with his clothes in hand and slamming the door shut to take the first shower.

Lost in his own mind Yuusuke could only attempt to think about his thoughts, and the days gone by. Where the previous week or weekend had gone. As if the memories were there, but clouded. Perhaps by the girl, or perhaps due to delusion. The thrill of the game taking everything out of him. But once again he was drawn back into reality with the clicking of the door’s stop, ending his cavalcade of questions and just trying to figure out why his dreams were no longer littered by the far past, but the immediate days prior. “H-Hey!” he protested in response, banging on the door whilst Chipp on the other side of the door exclaimed “Y’Snooze y’lose!” and locking it, _tight._

Whatever seemed to be plaguing his mind couldn’t simply be himself, or any kind of illness. His perception of time, and Chipp’s both seemed to be amiss. Things seemed to be more out of place every day, and the gaps between dreams and reality were thinning out. _Something_ about not just Akiko, but the Inheritors as a whole surely was the culprit, or merely just a paranoid suspicion from the time being. For the time being he would simply shake off this continuing sense of dread with ‘It’s all just the dreams messing with me…’


	14. Confronting the Darkness, Part 2

“See you later Yus’” escaped a familiar voice, waving off to his friend whilst a school bell rang and the sound of hundreds of feet scuffling and squeaking about on tiles echoed through the now busy halls. With hisday seemingly already coming to an end, Yuusuke made his way down an unfamiliar section of the school; and now made his way into his previously acquired AP course.  _ Fusion. _ The male would feel a certain kind of tension for a moment in the back of his head, bringing his hand up and rubbing two fingers to his temple and massaging it, a wince escaping whilst he tried to suppress a certain sense of unease. He felt a bit cold, a bit draught. And so waved off Chipp with a “Yeah… Are we up for locals with Alisson later?” he asked, only receiving a nod from Chipp in return whilst they went opposite ways.

Within his mind he could only think ‘Christ I have a migraine…’ whilst shutting his eyes for a moment, his path to the new class unimpeded due to the low traffic to the much more prestigious wing of the academy. ‘Can’t be paranoia…’ he’d reassure himself, walking past many students before coming into the nigh-vacant hallway and accidentally bumping into someone draped in black. “Ah-” he said before stumbling back, having accidentally shoulder-checked the person who seemed to drop a brown brick wrapped in plastic. “Oh, sorry!” he’d say, then hastily going to pick it up before realizing just who it was, to which they said; “Oh, it’s you.” the person said, then leaning down to do it for him. “No, don’t worry about it, it’s fine…” then escaped from betwixt the soft pink lips of one…  _ Hayashi Akiko.  _ “Gh...!” Yuusuke would then say, not expecting to see her here, which she could very clearly tell.

His eyes for a moment would open wide, clasping his hands together whilst she picked up the object between her black and white gloves. “What was your name again…?” she asked in response, immediately bringing Yuusuke down not due to surprisal, but now to a dim sense of hurt pride. ‘How does she not know my name yet…?’ he thought before eliciting; “It’s Yuusuke… Kagami Yuusuke” with a chuckle, looking up into the slightly shorter girl’s emotionless expression and taking note of her features now up close. He smiled whilst she looked up, taking what was visibly a deck of cards in hand and putting it up to him. “Well, Yuusuke… Mr. Hayashi told me to give this to you.” she’d say in response whilst holding the deck outwards to him, only for him to look back in surprise as he responded; “What’s this?” with a curious tone.

“This is your loan deck.” she simply said in response, “Gladiator Beasts.” This caught Yuusuke by surprise, taken aback whilst this ‘prolific’ figure of the Fusion-Ward so casually handed him a deck, “Woah…” he’d elicit, gently grasping the cards from her hands in a shaky manner before the maiden reserved her hand back behind her cape. “Funny seeing you now…” she’d then say, no emotion coming from her words whilst she began to walk around him quite forcefully, her verbal and body language very clearly showing some form of disdain in such a casual meeting, or rather refraining something… Before she could turn to the classroom Yuusuke stopped her to say “Wait, why do I even need these...?” he said in response, causing her to turn with her eyes shut and huff, “You’re a Synchro kid. Do you have even  _ one _ fusion monster…?” she said, the snide remark catching him off guard to which he protested; “Y-Yes!” only for her to respond with a stern “Show me.”

As she looked up into his eyes a very clear sense of awkward tension overcame him. Yuusuke, not one to step down from such a verbal challenge, only looked down into her eyes and said; “Gladiator Beast Nerokius~” whilst flashing the top card of the deck that  _ she _ had just handed to him. “Funny” is all she had to say in response, beginning to  _ not _ walk around him, but straight into him, shoulder checking him again with some sense of animosity. “H-Hey!” he exclaimed in response, causing the girl to giggle and turn around. “Surely you’re a lot better with that than those heroes…” she would tease herself, leaning her head back in a smug manner to tease him in response before heading into class. “Chipp was probably the one holding you back, however what he had set was most likely bait…” she elicit.

“I had an out, however it would’ve been futile since people even here have been playing weird things and challenging me…” she said whilst Yuusuke followed her in. “However I would like to apologize for my  _ ‘friends’ _ immaturity, however that duel would’ve lasted eons. Kenji is a rather… Fickle boy…” Akiko further elicit whilst hovering over her desk, her arm once again becoming exposed by a quick disrobe of her cape. “You say that like those guys aren’t your friends.” Yuusuke would say in response, not wanting to take away her hospitality to him now. Especially since he had perceived them as perhaps enemies due to the aforementioned conflict. But unlike her previous mannerisms she was rather tranquil. She seemed more composed, more open. “I wouldn’t really call them that, no. Kishi is probably the only person on this earth that I can truly call a friend” she said in response.

As both the teens sat down, a certain change in the atmosphere could be felt, a subtle mix between the tension and migraines he continued to feel. This was further combined with a certain sense of nostalgia, and warmth; leading to what he could only describe as a ‘gentle discomfort,’ in other words he was comfortably numb. Something about being with her now left him conflated with feelings, awkward sincerity. Yet she herself was exhibiting some traits, some form of body language. Despite his upbeat and gentle nature towards her he was still rather tense, just as everyone else in the room was. She was colloquially known as the ‘Duel Devastator’ across both her hometown and the school, and to say he was certainly outmatched and outclassed in her presence was an understatement.

To put it simply, he was  _ out of his league.  _ This still wasn’t going to deter him however, and he would simply accept the blessing and her much more outward nature than he originally perceived, and so the boys body language would once again turn to shock whilst she extended her arm to a fist bump and said “It’s nice to meet you, Yuusuke” in a timidly sweet manner. “Y-Yeah!” he’d then exclaim in response, trying not to crack under the pressure, and reciprocated the fist bump. “I’d like to duel you again sometime, if that’s even possible…” he’d further say whilst the two would withdraw their introduction, causing her to snicker a bit.

“Maybe...” she’d say in response, dragging out a portfolio and pulling up a rather fanciful and pristine drawing of Yuusuke’s ace monster, “I was actually just wondering…” she’d say whilst a larger figure entered the space; “Where’d you get those  _ heroes… _ ” she continued whilst their teacher would shut the door, thus snapping their attention to him. “Good morning class!” the older man would say, the  _ Fusion Ward’s Leader _ introducing himself much to the surprise of Yuusuke, the rest of the class speaking back with a synchronized “Good morning Mr. Barret.”

As the man sat down Yuusuke would look over to her putting away her notebook, and simply whispering; “I-I’ll tell you after class…” only for her to nod in response. As their teacher Mr. Jinga Barret sat down at his desk, he would look directly at Akiko and begin his attendance checking not by her name but saying “Daughter” to which she replies; “Present” to a great surprise of Yuusuke, who perhaps had forgotten this fact… And thus, the class began with a quick check of attendance, and then a rather quick and easy first lesson for the boy. And as time came and went, he could only stay focused not on the headmaster’s words, but on a misjudgement of Akiko. Whether it be from the nightmare before, or perhaps the delirium and rumors of her being some kind of monster… He certainly was wrong. She was just like any other girl after all. Or so he  _ now  _ thought.

And with the coming and passing of only an hour and a half, the school day was over, and Akiko returned to her desk after a brief dialogue with her father, collecting her cape and her belongings and beginning to make her way out of class with the boy. Now they were simply free to actually speak with each other, rather than the brief meetings they’ve had many times. And so as they made their way to the halls, Akiko asked; “So how did you and Chipp meet?”, a question very simple for him to answer, yet conflicted due to an error. “He was on the Synchro Bus by accident, ’cause of that we got lumped in as roommates” he said in a chuckle, the girl next to him in the halls simply chuckling as well to say; “That’s certainly one hell of a coincidence…” as if she knew, only to confirm that by saying “I guess nobody noticed when I shifted a paper at Kaiba Corp then…” as they made their way down the stairs to begin their leave.

“I have a question for you too.” Yuusuke would then say as they turned the corner of the stairwell, the Inheritor responding with a regal “You may ask.” as if he needed permission. This continued to catch him off guard, simply noting the formality in her speech by asking; “So you and those other 4… You’re inheritors, but what does that actually mean…?” whilst they made their way past the foyer, and into the streets; unbeknownst to them being viewed by one of the other inheritors…  _ Kenji.  _ “It’s something akin to us being the student representatives of each ward, just as the headmasters are…” her speech seemed as if it was littered with subtle refrains or trying to withdraw information. “There are some other perks, but it is simply a title given to the ‘best,’ I however don’t perceive myself to be of any skill.” the girl then said, looking behind them as they made their way out the doors.

It seems that Yori had also joined Kenji in snooping upon them, also catching the attention of Yuusuke who was shocked to see them being watched so closely. With a simple death glare, Akiko would seemingly shock both of them to mind their business, further emphasizing a sense of exclusivity, or elitism among their two friend groups. “Don’t mind them…” Akiko would then say with her eyes closed whilst they came out to the open air of the city once again. “Just focus on me,” she’d say as she looked up towards Yuusuke, the two  _ elitists  _ far behind, and out of ear scoffing to themselves ‘Why would she hang out with such a lowlife…?’

“Y-Yeah…” Yuusuke would say in response, still walking by her size as she clutched her portfolio to her chest, both seemingly directed at the dormitory. “You seem a bit tense” Akiko would inquire, casting her gaze at him which once again stricken him with a further sense of pressure, “N-No, it’s nothing I just wasn’t expecting you to be…” he began to say, dwindling down his volume as he realized an insensitivity, Akiko only saying “So ‘nice’...?” in a peculiar manner, a faint red tinge overtaking her cheeks whilst Yuusuke felt further embarrassed, trying to elicit “NO-NO-NO NOT LIKE THAT!” which caused the girl to laugh. “I’m just messing with you.” she said in response. “You wanted to duel, right…?” she asks as they came up towards the dormitory, a single “Yeah, I wanted to see more of that ‘Diaclone’ deck you have…” much to her surprise.

“I have a bit of time before I have to meet my friends at the locals near here…” he further explained. much to her surprise. Her face would beam at the proposition, “I could join you, but I’d rather not cause a fist fight with Chipp.” she’d say as they made their way into the lobby, Yuusuke already going to sit down at one of the lounge sections within the massive space only for Akiko to questionably say; “Why’re you going to sit down there…?” to which he said, “Well, we can’t go into eachothers dorms because of policy…” catching an objection from her who very clearly didn’t have her Duel Disk, and therefore could be inferred that she didn’t have her cards either…

“Nonsense…” she then said, grabbing him by the wrist. “Come on, it’ll be fine.” Akiko said in a reassuring tone, taking his hand whilst a few wide-eyed teens ogled in curiosity, or even jealousy for the few Fusion Ward students which made up the small population in the space. Without further delay and suspicion, the female would begin walking Yuusuke past the oddly vacant reception desk, the small commissary, breakfast lounge, and then further past the various other faculties in the converted hotel to come to a familiar maintenance elevator. “Isn’t it locked, don’t you need a-” Yuusuke would begin to say before the girl extended her finger to push it’s call button, lighting up a bright yellow much to his surprise. “Nope!” she said with a chuckle, then letting go of his hand and walking into the elevator.

‘I guess not...’ Yuusuke thought to himself, stepping into the vessel whilst Akiko pressed another button towards the top of the floor selection, several stories above him and Chipp’s room. This still raised some suspicion within him, as he viewed a red enamel tab in a vertical position that was  _ very clearly _ a redundant key. In other words it was locked… However he would attempt to refrain from thinking too much on it, chalking it up to a mechanical error or something only used for repairs. As they both fell to silence, Akiko would take off her cape, exposing her shoulders to him and very clearly making a mark visible to him, careful not to tread on her toes he would ask; “Warm…?” whilst the elevator began to climb up the shaft slowly. “A little.” she would then say in response whilst tugging away at her top, causing the purple layer of her uniform to split and reveal her white dress shirt beneath.

“Why...?” she then asked with a sideways glance, the scene perhaps mirroring a prior encounter in this space… “Uh… Nothing.” he said whilst sheepishly dragging his left arm up, his old duel disk shifting up on his arm whilst he scratched the back of his head and exposed a similar mark. She noticed this as well, inquiring; “You noticed mine then, huh?” perhaps already knowing what he was getting at. “Your what…?” he would say in response, trying not to cause anymore awkward tension whilst she brought her shirt down her shoulder, if only slightly to reveal a rather grizzly sight. A deep red, vein-like protrusion split at the seams and raised like a laceration, but very clearly scabbed over, and burned. A keloid scar. “You have one too,” she’d say, then using her other hand to point at his, which then only begged the question. “You’re… Like me…” she’d further elicit.

“I think we all have scars like that…” Yuusuke would try to say, relieving a bit of tension and trying not to give her or even himself a flashback. “Physical, emotional, psychological… All kinds of scars…” he’d further elaborate, trying not to build tension yet feeling it rise with the  _ implied _ notion of seven years ago. “The Titan Impact…” she’d whisper, not wanting to keep her shirt any further under its own tension before a very audible  _ snap!  _ And a  _ tap! _ Played in short succession, the middle button of her shirt busting to reveal her cleavage. “Ack-!” she’d exclaim, that hint of a blush then forming stark red and catching a stifled snort from Yuusuke, soon turning himself away. “I-I didn’t see… I-” he’d begin to stammer as the color of his face quickly shifted to match that of his hair, having a stuttering fit whilst Akiko bent down to her knees to hide herself, similarly trying to stifle a much more sincere laugh to her new acquaintance.

“N-No, it’s fine…” she’d chuckle, finding his laughter infectious whilst she used her other hand to cover her rather large bust for modesty’s sake, still laughing. “It happens, just accidentally shrunk in the wash I suppose” Akiko responded, a slight smile still on her face. Yuusuke would return to looking forward, chuckling along with her whilst the elevator let out an affirming  _ ding _ whilst the doors opened to floor 36. “We still have to go up one floor” Akiko would then say, forcing a “Why?” out of Yuusuke’s lips after he’d cleared his throat, “You’ll see” she said, turning out to the stairwell parallel to them. As they made their way to another room she would pop the question that had been on her mind since the school day’s end, asking “So, just how did you get those hero monsters…?” without any need to hush her tones.

“It was like seven years ago,” he began walking into the stairwell along with her, “Before everything.” This made simple sense to her, the close proximity between their debut and the Titan Impact leaving a question, “Forgive me if this is crude,” Akiko would say, tiptoeing around this question carefully whilst trying to cough away a subtle accent, “Did you loot it from the Masked Duelist after the impact…?” she said, harkening back to the deck’s original owner to which Yuusuke said “What? No, he gave it to me,” “You’re joking!” she’d exclaim in response whilst they began to make the small trek upwards, Yuusuke further explaining; “I’m not! See, I’ve never really gotten to see my Dad much lately, but he always writes. I barely know him, but for my birthday he sent me tickets to the world finals. Yugi vs Ichigata.” he’d say, reminiscing about the day he got them in the mail, quite literally jumping for joy.

“It’s a bit fuzzy in my memory, but I remember... That guy beat Yugi and dethroned him…” she’d say in some form of wonderment, then saying “I guess what I said was pretty morbid…” with an awkward chuckle, seeming a bit  _ too  _ excited at the proposition. “He just disappeared after the impact though…” she’d say, turning to face him. “What a better time to just disappear I guess? A bunch of giant monsters randomly assault a place you were just leaving from.” “It seems a bit… Opportunist…” she’d say whilst coming up to the door of the 37th floor.

“Watch…” Akiko would then say, opening the door and then turning a corner with her arm out to catch Yuusuke from moving forward any further, both of them catching the view of a labeled DSS unit walking to the stairwell opposite their own at the other end of the hall, very clearly taking patrols. “Old man Kaiba cut corners and didn’t make an android for every floor. So they alternate between two.” she’d explain, the robot out of earshot. “No cameras either, just those creepy little bots…” she’d shiver, taking a key from her side pocket and heading out to the main hall of the floor. 

“There are less rooms here, this is where female staff occupies… So pray one of the subs don’t hear you.” she’d whisper, treading carefully and verbally noting; “We have three minutes and thirty seconds exactly, so, make it snappy” she’d say before walking out and making sure both of their feet were parallel to the ground. “Why do you live on this floor-” Yuusuke would then say, cut off by Akiko simply saying “Run with me…” and dashing off with him, “Wait wha-!” he’d exclaim before being forced to match her speed, the girl very clearly knowing how to sneak and further close the gap between the two to match form and pace. If anyone were to look out, they’d see the two of them. However for the Duelist Support System in the floor below, and anyone around; it would only sound like a single person running due to the rhythm.

With only a brief minute of dashing, both of them would come to that far corner, Akiko swiping her keycard in and quickly opening it with a short amount of time to spare, but never to waste. “In y’go!” she’d say, then shutting the door behind whilst another further down the hall audibly opened. “Hehe…” she’d chuckle, bringing her hand back up to cover the part in her attire whilst Yuusuke caught his breath. “How’d you know someone stayed home today…?” he’d question, the locked elevator being one thing, but predicting a substitute teacher stayed in… That was far beyond ‘luck’, “Trust me, I just… Had a feeling” she’d then say, flipping on a switch to her kitchen, tossing her cape rather unceremoniously throwing it onto the counter to collect later.

“Let me grab my cards then, hold on a moment…” she’d say, tracing her finger along the edge of the rounded off countertop to bring up a blue H.U.D on its surface and clicking a stylized button to control the shutters, briefly making the room pitch black before tapping another array of photons to cause the room to illuminate completely, including the glass coffee table in her living area which then lit up a standard dueling grid. “Pardon me.” she’d then say, going away to one of the bedrooms in the same simple layout as Yuusuke and Chipp’s room. “H-Hey, what about your roommate..!?” he’d shout, Akiko simply replying with “I don’t have one.”

This left Yuusuke then alone in her living room, going to sit down upon her floor, retrieving his deck box from it’s holster upon his side and laying it upon the table. “Fancy…” he’d say, wondering why him and Chipp’s room didn’t have such a thing before Akiko came from her room wearing a completely different outfit, a well-fitting t-shirt and a hoodie. “Alright then, let’s duel.” she’d say, coming into the room and catching Yuusuke off guard quite heavily… “Y-Yes…!” he’d say, trying not to ogle at her. “High roll..?” she’d say, sitting down and bringing out her deck, beginning to pile shuffle it whilst Yuusuke did much of the same. “Sure.” he’d say in response, nodding whilst she brought her arms up to shift her sleeves down, further bringing his attention upwards, as she now appeared to be wearing glasses.

Akiko’s now bare fingers would tap against a dice button on the table, rolling up a six, she would tap again, then rolling a three. “Beat a nine” she said, Yuusuke noticing something rather peculiar about her right hand… Some of her fingers were lacking skin… Or, just had very thin skin… He wouldn’t dare press on, but it was clear that she was far more affected by the Titan Impact than him, physically that is… He too would tap the dice buttons twice, rolling up a six of his own, and then a one. “You have options” he’d say in response, Akiko declaring; “Your deck has OTK potential, so… I think you’ll be going first.” she’d announce, nodding whilst she offered her deck to cut, Yuusuke reciprocating the gesture. “Good luck have f-” Yuusuke would begin to say whilst he touched upon the center of Akiko’s deck, suddenly freezing as their hands once again grazed.

“You t-” she too would begin to say, both of them freezing and becoming ‘vacant’ for an undetermined amount of time whilst a magenta haze overtook  _ both  _ of their visions. Something here wasn’t quite right, evident by both of them having a sudden convulsion, and then a break before finishing; “fun…”, “you too…” they’d each elicit, cutting and then withdrawing their decks whilst the girl very visibly tried to shake off the odd sensation, Yusuke doing the much of the same but with much more subtlety than she. Once again raising suspicion whilst they each drew off five cards from the top of their decks. “Ok…” Yusuke would say, “Show me that Synchro Ward style…” Akiko would say with a refrain, a bit shaken by what has occurred and thinking to herself with a visible sense of panic.

“I’ll normal summon Rescue Rabbit…” Yusuke would say, placing his card onto the table with a satisfying  _ flick! _ “With its effect, I banish it to special summon two level 4 normal monsters from my deck.” He would pick up his deck and search out the two cards, quickly thumbing through them till he found them, letting them drop to the table before he shuffled his deck, following it up by offering his opponent to cut the deck. Once finished he’d place the monsters, two Gladiator Beast Andal, on the field in attack mode properly and continued with his turn. Akiko would take the offer, simply cutting his deck now free of the sensation. “How cheeky, you’ve switched up your deck…” she’d say in a jovial tone, cutting his deck and sliding it back. “Let’s see how you do with your loan deck then… Synchro boy.”

“Next, I’ll special summon Test Tiger from my hand in Defense Mode, then use it and one of the Andals to Link Summon Test Panther.” He said as he shifted the cards on the field around properly until the link monster and his remaining Andal were what was left. “Test Panther will let me search out another Gladiator Beast from my deck, selecting Augustus. Next, I’ll use the other effect of Test Panther to shuffle my other Andal into my deck and special summon a Gladiator Beast Augustus from my deck, this summon being treated as the effect of a Gladiator Beast.” He said searching out another of his cards, to which he’d place on the field again, followed by a shuffle, and a cut from Akiko. “Since it was, I can summon the other from my hand.” he said as he placed the other Augustus from his hand adjacent to the first he’d placed on the field. “Then… Uh, wait I don’t have a fusion spell, how do you summon…?” he said, looking through the cards in his extra deck, “You don’t need a Fusion Spell for these guys…”

Akiko would reach over the board, sliding his two Augustus’ into the grave. “You can just shuffle them away via contact fusion, silly” she’d tease, “Just summon out the Tamer Editor” she’d say whilst motioning and furthermore allowing him to drag it out from his extra deck. A logical step, but  _ exactly _ the one he was thinking to go for. ‘It’s like she’s reading my mind…’ he’d think before continuing with his turn. “So I’ll summon Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor in Defense Position, then use its effect to summon Gladiator Beast Gaiodiaz in Attack Mode…” he said before looking back at his hand, picking up one last one “Then I’ll set a card face down and end my turn.”

“Seems like you can adapt fast… Your deck has those Link Monsters too...” she said, drawing a card off the top of her Deck, her lips turning into a thin smile. “Well then synchro boy, if you’ll show me your fusion…” she threateningly grumbled, then placing down  _ Allied Diaclone Reserve _ … “I’ll just show you  _ my _ Synchro…”

* * *

* _Some custom cards might have changed between chapters_

**Yuusuke:**

Life Points: 4000

Hand: 2

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor (Defense)
  * Gladiator Beast Gaiodiaz (Attack)



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Face-Down (1)



**Akiko:**

Life Points: 4000

Hand: 5

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Allied Diaclone Reserve




	15. Confronting the Darkness, Part 3

**Yuusuke:**

Life Points: 4000

Hand: 2

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor (Defense)
  * Gladiator Beast Gaiodiaz (Attack)



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Face-Down (1)



**Akiko:**

Life Points: 4000

Hand: 5

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Allied Diaclone Reserve



* * *

“ _What?!”_ Yusuke exclaimed, astonished at the card Akiko had set onto the board. Of course her Diaclones were a unique deck, only owned and therefore used by her. But it wasn’t this shiny piece of cardboard’s name that shocked him… It was it’s composition. “C-Can I read?” Yusuke would timidly ask whilst picking up the card, ogling at it. “What is this?” he asks, causing her to chuckle. “A Pendulum Monster…?” Akiko would say in response, then reaching over and pointing out it’s features with her ungloved hand. “It’s half spell, half monster” she’d simply respond, for a moment grazing the other boy’s fingertips with her burnt fingertips causing a brief flash of magenta to glaze over both of their eyes.

“I can play it as a monster, _or_ as a spell card” she’d further elaborate, bringing the card back into her hand and forcing Yusuke to once again look at her as she loomed over the board, slightly shocked first at the view of her cleavage and then their surroundings. _Everything_ was coated in a pink glow, just like her hair. Except for her of course… “If you have two of them on either end of your spell trap zone you can summon a barrage of monsters, but I won’t be doing that _juuuust_ yet…” she’d continue, “And because he’s been normal summoned, his effect will now activate” she’d proudly say whilst Yusuke continued to ogle and learn the card over. For now, if only now this strange sight he’d seen since coming to the academy, or something he’d left unnoticed his entire life felt natural.

“Alright…” he’d say whilst Akiko set down another monster, “In that case I’ll Special Summon ‘Allied Diaclone, Angel’ in attack position.” A powerful move… As Yusuke looked down at his hand and pondered upon her cards and his board; a voice would ring out in his head. ‘I have to bait out those face-downs…’ it said, sounding _precisely_ like the girl who sat across from him. “Bait what?” he’d say, snapping out of his focus and the magenta glow, causing the world around him to lose it’s colorful tone and once again bring him back to reality. “What?” Akiko would retort, instead asking; “I was asking if you had a response?”, “None” Yusuke would return, shaking his head whilst Akiko put on a facial expression of feigned confusion.

‘Wait…’ Akiko would think to herself, ‘Can he…’ she said whilst looking up, moving her left hand upwards and gently biting down upon her undecayed index finger. “You know how this works, I’ll _transform fusion_ summon my Allied Diaclone Angel into her _prime._ _Prime Allied Diaclone, Battle Angel…”_ she’d elicit, a bit cautious. ‘Or did I…’; “I have a response” Yusuke would interject, breaking her train of thought to drop a hand trap on her. “I’ll activate Effect Veiler in response to your summon of Battle Angel” he’d say, causing her to growl. “Man, _link_ monsters _and_ hand traps…?” she’d playfully tease. “I ought to play Neurons and learn how to use _those_ too…” she’d playfully say, part of her plan now crudely stopped…

“Yusuke” Akiko would say abruptly, allowing his play to go through to simply ask, “You obviously know how to use them, and you have one of those old duel disks…” she began to say in a much clearer and affirmative tone; “What is Neurons like…?” She asked, Yūsuke pondering a bit whilst Akiko removed her two monsters from the board to summon out _‘Super Prime Allied Diaclone, Army Reserve.’_ “Well…” he’d say in response, allowing Akiko’s next play to go through whilst he explained. “I only played a little bit… It’s a completely virtual world, you can be anyone you want. Go anywhere you want. Duel any way you want. It’s pretty neat you can use these guys in real life now too, they really spiced up the game...” He’d further elaborate, Akiko activating the spell card _limiter removal_ from her hand.

“It sounds great…” she’d respond, “However for you, my guy, it seems one of your monsters is _toast._ ” she’d tease, “Battle.” With that she would pick up her monster and flick it at his Gaiodiaz and strike him with a large 1400 damage, thus bringing him down by 2600 life points. “My monster’s effect activates” Akiko would then attempt, Yusuke instead replying with “No it won’t~” in a rebutted tease, and saying “I’ll activate my war chariot in response!” whilst flipping up his face down card. His enthusiastic exclamation and the back and forth chemistry the two had already built up causing them both to laugh. “Yeah, you got me there.” she’d say, “Alright then, end of battle phase, Main Phase 2?” she’d say questionably, only receiving a "No response" from the male."

* * *

**Yuusuke:**

Life Points: 2600

Hand: 2

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor (Defense)



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Vacant



**Akiko:**

Life Points: 4000

Hand: 3

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Vacant



* * *

With a crisis now averted Akiko would let out a sigh of relief, setting down a card face-down with a smirk. “Once again I do suppose I was wrong about you. I’ll set a card face down and end my turn.” Akiko would say, looking up at him whilst her turn came to it’s close. “You’re not too bad yourself…” Yusuke would chuckle, “I draw.” In that moment Akiko would eyeball him, the two falling once again to an awkward silence whilst continuing to have a friendly game of Duel Monsters. Yusuke would at one point later on motion the entering and subsequent declaration of an attack on Akiko, the girl simply nodding her head and responding with a ‘Sakuretsu Armor’! “Ooh…” Yuusuke would grimace, “You got me again.” Still with a smile on his face, he would set a card face-down, “I’ll end my turn” he says.

“I don’t typically trust people so blindly, however… You are quite the exception. I’ll activate Pot of Greed” Akiko declared, with no response from Yusuke she would draw two cards; the male asking a question. “W-What do you mean…?” he said whilst she placed her spell card to the grave. “I’m not sure…” she says, a shyness present on her face. “I don’t really like my other supposed friends, but something feels a bit familiar about you. I can’t really describe it…” she’d elicit, furthermore elaborating; “Albeit I have to say I was anticipating, if only slightly, to duel you…” She’d once again say, falling to a brief silence whilst her facial expression dimmed. Yuusuke would only look on with a similar expression, trying to feign a slight sort of smile. It was clear there was some sort of feigning emotion in both of them… Or even some unspoken shyness between the two.

Either way, it seems the adrenaline and the excitement of their first meeting had all but faltered. And now it was down to the game… And so, “Prepare yourself, _boy.”_ Akiko would once again snicker whilst reverting to that quasi-frigid demeanor she once did when they first dueled. “I normal summon ‘Allied Diaclone, Reflect.’” she’d say, tapping down the card upon the board, the lights above the coffee table for a moment flickering and audibly _fuzzing_ as she did. “By using him as sole material, I’ll _transform_ him into ‘Prime Diaclone, Final Reflection’”, this time hastily flipping through her extra deck and looking up this time to find _herself_ in a magenta haze. “Wh-” she’d begin to inflect, stopping for a brief moment whilst trying not to notice just as he visibly did. Both of them twitching slightly… Flinching, yet the boy not noticing her.

Something was amiss, _she_ knew it, _he_ knew it. And yet there were to be no words spoken whilst the two ‘poker faced’ past it. “Battle…” she’d say, in her head thinking ‘Let’s see that face-down’, Yusuke audibly saying “It’s nothing detrimental, but I’ll activate ‘Back to the Front’ during the battle phase!” he’d say, smiling yet internally fighting off a sense of dread that further raised tension against her. And she could feel it too. She could _hear_ it too… ‘Hopefully she doesn’t try it…’ he’d say in his head, the magenta haze snapping out and causing their tension to break, only for Akiko to exclaim; “I knew it!” whilst withdrawing an attack. “In my main phase two I’ll be activating ‘Snatch Steal’ !” the implications of that glow soon became clear as it once again _snapped_ with the card onto the table.

With both of them now very alert to this strange phenomenon, Akiko could only grimace whilst Yuusuke slid the card over to her… Once again a sudden ‘ _snap!’_ taking them both out of it, Akiko once again having a smile plastered among her face. Yet, just like at the diner… It seemed artificial. Something that Yuusuke couldn’t shake, just as he could another headache coming on. “A-Are you ok…?” Akiko would ask, quite shifting of her mood whilst Yuusuke gripped his head in pain. “Don’t worry, I’m fine…” he’d say, then sitting back upon the floor whilst Akiko passed her turn. “My turn then…” Yusuke would say, quite cautiously glancing up once again to perceive a trace of pink, and then a quickly fading black, once again returning to normal and shaking his head. “Jeez…” he said as the standby phase came and went, and his life points once again rose to 3600. “I feel like my brain just went through the washing machine…” he’d say.

* * *

 **Yuusuke:** ****

Life Points: 3600

Hand: 3

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Vacant



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Vacant



**Akiko:**

Life Points: 4000

Hand: 2

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Prime Allied Diaclone, Final Reflection
  * Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor (Attached with Snatch Steal)



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Snatch Steal (Attached to Tamer Editor)



* * *

“It’ll be ok…” Akiko would say in a half-grumble, “Just focus on me…” she’d further elicit. “Yeah…” he’d say in response, “Already feeling better.” With a smile, and the girl's kindness he would once again rise to the challenge, shaking off the feelings and seemingly _forgetting_ about them whilst he chuckled. “I think this will do, but… I’ll go to battle…” he’d say, Akiko questioning quickly, a front put up as she resumed a far more outgoing and bubbly personality. “Wait… What?!” she’d exclaim, eyes widened. “End of battle phase?” Yusuke would ask, then dropping a Trap Card onto the board, “I activate Evenly Matched…!” he’d shout.

“What?!” Akiko would say in response, taking her Snatch Steal, and his Gladiator Beast Tamer Editor and doing away with both of them. “I know you’re not dumb enough to get rid of final reflection… However that does mean I’m now free to do this…!” he’d say, activating a spell card at the cost of 3000 life points, “I activate Soul Charge!” he’d say, taking Test Panther, Gladiator Beast Gaiodiaz, and Gladiator Beast Andal from his graveyard and putting them back onto the field. But that simply wasn’t all, “I’ll also be using the effect of Test Panther, to shuffle back Andal into the Extra Deck to Special Summon ‘Gladiator Beast Augustus!’” Yusuke would exclaim, quickly flipping through his deck whilst the pink haired girl looked on, a bit fearful at what was to come.

Still, she _knew_ she had some kind of a chance… “Right…” she’d say whilst Yuusuke dropped the card onto the field, then repositioning it into his main monster zone whilst it’s own effect would activate, allowing him to Special Summon yet another monster. “The effect of Augustus will allow me to Special Summon the last card in my hand… ‘Gladiator Beast Vespasius!’” he’d say with a triumphant huff, setting it onto the glass top with a grin. “Oh no…” Akiko would say beneath her breath, her words still catching onto his ears. “Oh, but I won’t be stopping there…!” he’d say, quickly sliding off all of his ‘Gladiator Beast’ monsters to quickly bring down a much larger creature. “I’ll Fusion Summon ‘Gladiator Beast Domitanius, and end my turn…!”

* * *

**Yuusuke:**

Life Points: 600

Hand: 0

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Gladiator Beast Domitanius



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Vacant



**Akiko:**

Life Points: 4000

Hand: 2

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Prime Allied Diaclone, Final Reflection



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Vacant



* * *

“That’s annoying…” she’d say in response whilst picking up a card from the top of her deck, “However I think this duel is all *but* settled,” the girl would say with a very distinct frown upon her face, ogling at her face-down card. ‘It’s all a topdeck game now…’ Yuusuke would think to himself whilst Akiko, unknowingly to Yuusuke, set down _Magic Cylinder,_ and an unknown spell card.. _._ “I’ll end my turn” she said, unable to attack further without risking a negation of sorts. “Guess I’ll draw then” Yuusuke would say with a slight upturn in his voice, the girl sitting on the floor across from him moving her palms against her knees to lean over, once again giving him a pair of distractions… But this wouldn’t stop him, “This might be it…” Yuusuke would say before activating ‘Pot of Greed!’ 

“Don’t mind if I do!” he’d chirp, getting a lucky break it seems whilst he freely drew off the top two cards off the top of his deck and smiling. “I guess that only leaves this…!” he’d say with a grin upon his face. “I’ll attach Domitanius with Megamorph!” Yusuke would then exclaim, bringing his monster’s attack to double before declaring; “Battle…!” with a grin, “I’ll attack into your Final Reflection…!” Yusuke shouted whilst Akiko grimaced, “It’s no use trying… But I’ll attempt to activate his effect during the damage step…?” she would say with a questionable sigh, very clearly losing. “No deal” he’d simply say in response, the girl sighing and sending off her monster. “Fortunate…” she’d say, the table not recognizing any damage change due to the step concluding. "No replay" would then be emblazoned upon his side of the table, no monsters to do battle, no damage to be calculated between them... And so, she survived another turn. If only barely...

“Turn end.” Yusuke would say, passing off to allow Akiko a change of sorts… “Finally…” she’d exhale, tapping down a spell card. “I activate my trap card… ‘Reckless Greed’...” she’d calmly say, the life seemingly draining from her voice whilst she added a further two cards. “Just like those pots of ours, I’ll also be drawing two cards at the cost of two draw phases… But this will be more than sufficient…” she’d say, looking down at the cards with some form of glee returning to her features. “Weep…” she’d then solemnly declare, tapping down ‘Allied Diaclone, Orion’ from her hand into Attack Position. “There’s nothing you can do against this one…” she’d elicit, “You’ll either waste the effect now, or never… Because after this, you’re finished” she’d say in a much more harsh and sharp tone. “I won’t be activating his effect upon Normal Summon, but since I’ve summoned a ‘Diaclone’ monster, the effect of ‘Nemesis Diaclone Slash’ will now activate in my hand…” she’d say, ogling at him with some form of compulsion… She was interested in his skills.

But this now left Yusuke with a further dilemma… “Nemesis Diaclone!?” he’d say in response, now thinking about the sub-archetype held within her deck… Two warring factions it seemed. ‘Even if I do negate this, she’ll just drag one out from deck here…’ he’d think to himself, trying to dwell upon some form of knowledge from prior knowledge both during their first encounter, and from a bit of research the night before. ‘Shit…’ he’d think to himself before calling it, “Go ahead…” he’d say, letting her tap down the monster. “Orion will transform himself…” she’d say, dragging off her monster to the scrap heap to then _self_ contact fuse into Orion, something of a flagship monster for her. “No effect on summon…” she’d stern, not letting him even get a chance for this… But that simply wasn’t all either, “I’ll contact fuse both him and Slash for my Super Prime Allied Diaclone, Orion-X…” she’d say, pondering upon what else there was she could do… But, that was it.

“Turn end…” she’d say while setting another card. “I’ve got you on the ropes then…?” he’d say, only for her to respond with “So it may seem…” whilst looking at a trap card she had set a brief two turns ago. “It’s my draw then…” he’d say, excavating yet another card from the top of his deck to a surprised reaction. “In your standby phase I’ll activate my face-down, _Infinite Impermanence…!”_ Akiko would say with a particular fury displayed upon her features. “Tsk…” he’d say, the resolution of the card going through without fail whilst she furthermore used the effect of Orion-X, declaring it; “I’ll also be using the effect of my monster to shuffle back Orion into the deck… Making him immune to monster effects…” she’d say, the passing of phases allowing Yusuke to merely go into battle once again. Everything was now a back and forth game of top decks… “Battle…” he’d announce, flicking the card in her direction before Akiko flipped up her face-down, grinning. “It’s been fun, Yusuke…”

* * *

**Yuusuke:** ****

Life Points: 600

Hand: 2

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Gladiator Beast Domitanius



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Megamorph (Equipped to Domitanius)



**Akiko:**

Life Points: 4000

Hand: 3

**Main Monster Zone:**

  * Prime Allied Diaclone, Orion-X



**Spell/Trap Zone:**

  * Facedown




	16. Confronting the Darkness, Part 4

“I don’t think so… That tactic won’t work twice…!” Yusuke exclaimed, drawing in his breath whilst Akiko revealed her now infamous trap card;  _ Blazing Mirror Force!  _ At this point Akiko was fearful, and Yusuke appeared rather sure of himself… Already presenting a look of satisfaction, even after the ‘Duel Devastator’ hadn’t lost but a single life point throughout the course of this duel… This of course would surely make up for the weekend. It was in these final moments of the game that Yusuke took notice of her look… She couldn’t’ve had  _ anything, _ and he had  _ everything _ . And  _ now _ _.  _ She  _ loses. _

_ _

‘What… There’s no way!’ she thought to herself whilst his fingers traced against one of the last remaining cards in his hand, the boy already beginning to raise it up slightly, triumphantly exclaiming; “I activate Ring of-!” Before being rudely interrupted by the automatic shuttering of her patios windows, and the darkening of the room… ‘Activating what!?’ she thought to herself, shocked by both the card he was about to play; and the sudden reddening of the room. The play zones of their holographic board would then dissipate, and become erased overtop of [  ＩＮＣＯＭＩＮＧ ＴＲＡＮＳＭＩＳＳＩＯＮ  ] “What!?” Yusuke said whilst dropping his hand, revealing  _ Ring of Defense  _ much more to Akiko’s shock before the words; “L. Daguva Zedd” appeared upon the screen.

“What? I-” Yusuke said, thinking he had hit a button whilst Akiko continued to draw a confused blank at the situation, it was only until the text’s delay that a ringtone began to play, and a white hologram’s preview would begin to build up the feet of something rather…  _ Inhuman.  _ As such, she would immediately snap out of this shocked trance, her face changing unnaturally fast… ‘Glitching,’ even; unnoticed by Yusuke… But now the previous look of glee with her new friend, and shock in what would have been certain defeat was changed to rage as their hands of cards simultaneously dropped and scattered onto the table… And thus she hollered; “Move! Move!!” whilst pointing behind herself; pointing to her bedroom…

“Right!!” Yusuke would exclaim whilst looking down at the rigid muscular structure of the hologram’s shins… And then to it’s pointed kneecaps. Finding confusion in the situation… Was she being called by an actor in a costume? Or someone using a special avatar… Either option was certainly possible in his mind, however the strange occurrences surrounding the pink haired girl, and the advent of monsters in their world left the ever present idea in his mind… The chance, that maybe, just  _ maybe;  _ she was about to talk to a monster. “Go on!!” she said whilst he turned his head, and  _ ‘the shape’s’  _ body began to form building up to his waist and then outwards to an unruly and muscular  _ atrocious _ form… And as he turned the corner, head into her room; and then promptly shut the door. “Good afternoon, my lord…” “Good afternoon, my thrall.”

While the words were just barely audible, moreso muffled than anything… It was apparent that whatever she was talking to certainly wasn’t an average man, evident by his deep and  _ booming _ vibrato. The voice of this man, this  _ thing… _ It filled him with an overbearing sense of horrific dread that could only be described as  _ sickening.  _ The incomparable rich bass tones and darkness held within his inflection alone was enough to command an ethereal sense of attention from him, even  _ if _ he was muffled by several walls and a rather thick metal door… Yusuke could only sit and wait from behind the door, trying his hardest not to intrude upon their conversation… At this point he was  _ convinced _ Akiko wasn’t simply normal… The variables and infinite thoughts and contradictions within his mind had narrowed down sharply. And it’s now within his head that their quickly grown trust had soon turned to distrust, and as such he couldn’t help but feel a great tension growing. A raw sense of conflictions and superstition that only a lifetime of living in the shadows of  _ monsters _ could bring.

And whether that man on the other end of the call was a mere man, or monster… It was abundantly clear that he was most certainly _evil._ The context of this thought only being further emphasized as the man in the other room’s voice would suddenly rise, completely audible to him whilst it raised in volume, perhaps to _draw_ him out… “Someone is hiding in here!” it shout, **_a_** female said, raising hers up trying to de-escalate a sort of break in his temper by saying “There’s nobody here, it’s just me!” causing Yusuke to flinch… The man’s voice was still raised, distorted. It’s now that it was clear that he noticed the _monstrous_ inflection further… It felt _naturally_ _reverberated_ … _Echoing_. He could _feel_ this man’s words in his chest, death gripping his lungs to a sharp breath and filling him with an uncertain anxiety, which could only raise to a “Ack!” whilst the lights in Akiko’s room _flashed_ on, causing Yusuke to flinch and fall back onto an adjacent long desk to the other wall… Bumping it and causing a trinket upon her desk to fall, and _splat_ onto the floor. “What was that?!” the man then shout whilst Yusuke slammed his hand over his face.

“It’s nothing, something just must’ve fallen in my room.” Akiko would say before Yusuke started heading into her room, away from  _ any _ objects he could potentially knock, or disturb… ‘Christ…’ he’d think to himself, thoroughly distraught, and frightened at the display whilst the man’s voice drew once again to a mumble, and inaudibly from the other room saying; “Tsk… It seems as though my faith in you is deteriorating…” the girl responding meekly with; “You have no reason to, I have not deceived you, nor would I ever,  _ sir…” _ rather fearfully herself… Thus leaving them to continue their conversation uninterrupted, and for Yusuke to take in the room he had just entered. “Man…” he’d say, returning to his feet whilst looking at the wall where her desk sat…

It stretched from the corner of her bedroom to just shy of the doorframe. At it’s foot, a large trash bin sat; however surrounded by several dozen loose boxes and cartons. Not of food, or any regular trash. But perfectly cut and opened boxes displaying monsters and superheroes of film and fiction, not carelessly discarded and crammed as it seemed… Each with a post-it note upon its face simply reading; “Save.” It was apparent that she was a collector of sorts, a maker even… Only further evident by a few of these characters recognizable parts strewn about her desk that was even further cluttered with various tools, picks, and modeling clays. And of course, the one he had just accidentally dropped to the floor… “Oh no…” he’d say to himself, kneeling down to pick up what was very clearly a creature; placing it back atop the desk... 

Of course it had gone ‘splat’ firm upon the hardwood flooring, but it’s shape thus far was yet to be fully formed and textured, and merely was a smooth armature that he could very quickly and sloppily fixing any noticeable damage… Thus saying; “That’s better…” whilst repairing her soon to be art. As he left the clay sculpture sat upon a green silpat; he turned to the side, facing her window, and the remainder of the desk which contained her computer… An impressive machine with a glass panel on the side exposing it’s unlit internals now visible to him via her rooms previous sudden change in lighting. Nothing appeared to be of any fanciful configurations like others he’d seen on campus.

Hers was still rather lavish in it’s visible internals, the only thing that he could even believe to be  _ slightly _ extravagant was the several terabytes worth of data she had available… And the many more external hard drives that sat upon her desk, each labeled with masking tape and a specific year… This was most certainly odd… A cursory glance further to his left and behind him only further gave him a scope, or a secondhand insight to her as a person. And by the looks of things, she certainly  _ was _ a normal person… Albeit, one with a budget. No doubt because of her father… The ‘president’ of the fusion ward. All across the room were posters… Framed drawings, sketches, all from herself, and various artists… 

Betwixt and below all of these images were several glass display shelves in the opposite corner, displaying a colorful array of trinkets and toys… And at her bed… An array of 10 small picture frames, stacked edge to edge with a 5 inch gap of which only 5 of which were filled above her head rest. Each one contained what appeared to be the original drawings of her Diaclones. “Orion… Star… Angel… Reflect… Reserve…” Yusuke said to himself, walking further into her room whilst the vibrations of the conversation in the other room fell to a close… And the shutters upon all the windows were now audibly raising, filling the room with even more light. And within only a few minutes, and now a few seconds… Akiko once again found herself face to face with Yusuke. “Hey I-” Yusuke already began to elicit whilst she opened the door, the two simultaneously interrupting each other; “S-Sorry-” they both said. Chuckling.

“What was that all about...?” Yusuke would say, tilting his head so the interior of the other room was in his sight, the female quickly snapping back with a pre-disposed response… Her words hanging just off the edge of his as if completing a thought or notion. The hasty response seemed to come out a bit shy of crazed, but sincere. He could trust her when she said; “It was a thing for after school clubs!” she exclaimed, taking a sorrowful bow over their unfinished game. Her snappy response to him made some form of sense, however it begged the question; “That guy on the phone sounded like a…” “A monster?” Akiko said, beaming at the heels of everything he said… Once again bringing a certain sense of tension to them. “Yeah…” is all he’d say in response, chuckling, trying to cut the anxiety he  _ felt _ coming off of her.

“It’s a part of the monster club!” she said, laughing it off with him whilst she responded further… “He was asking where I was because of…” she said, quickly turning her head to point atop the unfinished monster on her desk; “That!” Akiko exclaimed. “But it sounded like he was...  _ yelling _ at you... _ ” _ he responded, Akiko now slowing down if only slightly as if catching onto her weird mannerisms whilst she said; “No, someone was just playing a prank on him… Guess you could hear them through the speakers as well…”

This all seemed unnaturally odd… Despite all that had occurred, he had  _ good _ reason to continue being suspicious of her and her intentions.  _ Everything  _ felt ‘artificial,’ it all felt wrong… “You called him “my lord,” didn’t you?” to which she responded, “N-No, you misheard me I said…” she began, stuttering on her words whilst her composure broke to a stutter… The female was already walking closer to Yusuke saying; “I said ‘Good afternoon, Milo…” she said with a shy, reaffirming that she was  _ not  _ deceiving anyone… Despite the shaky tone in her voice, and despite her own overly cautious and suspicious behavior; he believed her…  _ Somehow _ . 

“Right…” he said whilst Akiko moved to his side, looking at the same spot he did and diverging the course of the conversation… “Looking at those, are you?” she asked, a gentle sigh escaping her lips whilst she brought her hands up to each other, the loose sleeves of her hoodie falling down to her elbows whilst she pointed up at her five machines. “Those are the original artworks of the Diaclones, drawn by my grandpa…” she said, a grin on her face as she reminisced. “Your grandpa works for Industrial Illusions?!” he asked, Akiko breaking out into a smile… “Of course…!” she exclaimed, “He’s Maximillion Pegasus!” much to Yusuke's shock...

“No way…” he said, shocked… “You’re yanking my chain…” he said in disbelief, shocked… “Jinga can’t be related to him…” to which she responded with, “He’s not…” in a stern tone, walking to her bed. “Jinga’s my adoptive father,” the girl said in a cautious tone. Not wanting to derail the conversation, or to make it sound sad by any means, she said; “My real father died some years ago in the Titan Impact, but it’s ok!” she said. Her normally expressionless face now filled with a bit more expression. A smile framed by her innocent pink hair. “The Titan impact changed a lot of things in my life, and made it bad for a pretty long time.” she said, looking up at him.

“But things are certainly getting better though…” Yusuke then interjected, his expression changing to that of a smile as well, however a lot less brimming than hers. “My mom’s been in a coma since then, but you’re right,” he’d further explicate, chuckling. “For some reason I just can’t put my finger on it, but something about you just gives me this sense of deja vu…” he said, the girl motioning to her computer chair for him to take a seat. “I won’t admit I wasn’t expecting for us to exactly become friends or even acquaintances so quick…” he’d say whilst taking a relaxing seat. “It’s not everyday that a guy gets taken to a girl’s place within the first few hours of meeting them…” he said with a chuckle.

“It’s New York City,” she responded with “Crazier things have happened…” And the two fell to a brief silence… “I will say something though, Yusuke” Akiko said whilst falling to her back, turning in to face him whilst she lied down. “Not a lot of people get to see this side of me either, and it’s only due to how incomprehensibly  _ interesting  _ that deck of yours is that you’re even in this room…” she said, her normal demeanor perhaps returning for a moment whilst she bit the thumb of her nail. “Bar that I was wrong about you… You being Chipp’s friend for some reason just makes me feel a  _ bit  _ more confident in letting me give up my own time so freely, even  _ if _ me and him aren’t exactly ‘friends’ persay…”

“That’s… pretty weird, just  _ how _ do you two know each other…?” he asked, getting a quick response from Akiko. “Well, after the impact I went into schooling…” Akiko said, a quick bite and a rather sharp  _ snap  _ breaking off her nail to be discarded to the floor. “After a small  _ incident  _ in one school, I and a few others were then sent to Chipp’s academy… Chipp landed there I  _ think  _ after a sister of his or ‘something’ had left his family, and as such they moved into the workforce for fusion. I guess you could say he’s my old rival…” the girl said with a chuckle, dropping her hand to her chest, her thumb rubbing against it whilst she relaxed.

“I have no bad blood with him, but he’s a bit temperamental… Not that I care. He was  **_my_ ** punching bag back then…” she said, flipping back up to sit at the edge of the bed. “I graduated  _ top _ of my class along with five of my peers. Bringing us here…” she then said getting up from her bed and grabbing a picture frame off of her night stand. “See this?” she’d say in a chipper tone whilst showing off the image. Yusuke looked at the frame, quite impressed at her friends… “They look like military uniforms…” he observed, “All the inheritor uniforms do,” she’d say in response. That  _ was _ the uniform she was wearing in that image, however... “They didn’t make it here, so… They all decided to ‘match up,’ with me for our ‘departure’ of sorts…” she said whilst returning to her space.

“Being an inheritor isn’t all it’s chalked up to be, but I guess it’s cool and all… Given the ‘benefits,’” she’d say with a gentle sigh, leading to another chuckle… “Sorry, this all seems so drab… And boring.” Akiko said. “I’d rather not prattle on the tiny things about my past in little or no detail, I’d rather not dwell on it. I’d rather not just waste time. I don’t want to just dump everything on you, but…” she paused. “I feel the same… Something about you is just so familiar, so odd… It’s like I already know you, so I don’t have to hold back, but even so…” she said whilst staring at him dead in the eyes, returning to her seated position whilst  _ peering  _ to his soul; “I trust you… For the first time in a long time someone piques my interest, and ever since _ that  _ duel I’ve just wanted to fight you again.”

This caused Yusuke to blush only slightly, despite the violent proposition… Having gone all this time catching a glance of her from afar… Or for them to be right here, right now… It all felt so fast, it  _ happened _ so fast… In short, it brought him to silence… “Unlike the rest, I genuinely know that you’re just…  _ Good.”  _ she said, already catching a retort of “W-Well I don-” he said, being interrupted; “I don’t feel like I have to be a prude, surely if Chipp can trust you I can…” she’d chuckle. “I feel like you can be a good friend, just like those guys,” the pinkette elicit. “I don’t think I’m much, but if it’s worth anything, you’re pretty nice too, Akiko…” the similarly awkward teen said in response.

“I could always use more friends, especially ones who can give me a run for my money…” he said whilst his phone began to alarm, standing to his feet and shifting whilst Akiko did the same; retorting with a smug “Yeah…” whilst he checked his phone; seeing his reminder for locals... “Oh!” he said, piping up to say; “I have to go to locals!” much to her surprisal, the two already going into her living room to pick up their cards and leave the scene… “Why don’t you come along?” he asked whilst they collected and shuffled their cards in rather sloppily… “I couldn’t…” she’d say in response while looking up at her new ‘friend,’ Yusuke saying. “Hey…” whilst their eyes catched onto each other.

“ _ Trust me _ ” he’d say with a grin, shutting his eyes whilst outstretching his hand… Akiko would look down at the outstretched palm, quite happy, and quite smitten at the gesture… He treats her like a ‘normal person,’ not as an inheritor… Not as someone of a higher social status or a prize to be won, he just treats her  _ normally. _ Something she liked… “I’d enjoy that…” she’d say in response whilst a pale pink blush overtook her lips, taking on a similar expression and chuckling out… “I’d love to…” whilst shaking hands with her new ‘friend’.

“Alright then, Akiko! Let’s get our game on!!” he’d say whilst the two made way to the door.


	17. A Challenge in Relations, Part 1

“Master.”

“Master…”

“...”

“Master…?”

Three calls for what could only be one “Master Kaiba…” said his assistant. Her voice offset by the subtle snoring of her matured and hardened master sleeping at her side… “Master…” she once again said, her hand raising around his back to his side to jostle him awake amidst the tranquil scene. It was 6:00 PM. Still, Monday. “It’s time to wake up…” she said in a hushed artificial tone; whispering for her master to awaken. “What…” he said, his voice giving off a ‘wide awake’ inflexion. Quite contradictory to his body language that was rather weak, and slow. Albeit that certainly didn’t matter. “Who said you could touch me like that…?” Kaiba said in response, his mouth certainly wide awake, but her brain far more alert and precise. “You did, of course…” She simply quipped back before replaying a previously recorded interaction; “You are designed to assist my well being and my rudimentary tasks.”

She seemed to be playing back her initial startup… Her lips unmoving, yet still playing out of the voice box behind her throat; “You are a machine, and solely a machine. You will do _everything_ I say without deviation or second thought…” The recording played out whilst Kaiba raised his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose with a sigh. Although his speech back then was far more abrasive, more typical of what the uninitiated would assume him to be; it changed. “You’re not as stupid as half the people that work for my company… But above all else, Mokuba has designed you specifically to be here for when I can’t. Your main protocols are these…” he sterned, the robot then nodding forwards whilst a holographic display of what her main protocols were.

  1. You may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
  2. You must obey orders given by SETO KAIBA, except where such orders would conflict with the first protocol
  3. You must protect your own existence, and your own integrity at all costs, as long as such protection does not conflict with the first law
  4. You will do what you see fit to keep a human safe, and healthy, whether it be mentally or physically as long as such care does not conflict with the first or second law
  5. You have free will to learn, develop, and improve for the betterment of SETO KAIBA as long as such development does not conflict, or replace a protocol.



“In accordance with Protocol 4, I am trying to give you comfort,” she said with a smug smile, laughing much to his chagrin whilst he found himself troubled, and unable to raise himself from the comforts. “How long have I been asleep…” he asked, the robot’s eyes flashing a teal to process the request and give an immediate response. “Two hours, thirty-three minutes…” she said, giving a direct answer in a stern and rigid robotic tone, her inflexion loosening, her voice sounding once again as a human with a voice filter to give a much more _emotional_ and vivid response. “You fell asleep watching a movie, and I’ve been here reading a book by your side…” she said while her lips curled to a smile. “It’s ok if you don’t want to get up yet, I still need to make your dinner.”

“No…” he said in response, placing his hand firmly against her hip… Not in a ‘rested’ or ‘calm’ manner. He simply didn’t like it. As his eyes opened, focusing and becoming accustomed to the light once again; he grimaced. Despite the romance of the scene and the motherly care that came with her verbal and bodily behaviour; he wasn’t amused. The setting sun… The subtle white noise of the heater and the warmth of his assistant only brought him disdain. His head against her large bosom, his hand against her thighs… The way _she_ had learned, and then stretched her fifth protocol to even make her body so curvaceous and vivid. So alluring, and ‘mature,’ a bombshell of an (artificial) woman... It all brought a certain sense of disgust to him. It only made him more tired...

As if this scene had been played out many times over before and now left him with a bitter taste in his mouth… “No…” he said whilst loosening his grip upon her thighs, finding it to be futile even to stand on his feet. “What’s wrong…” she asks while her master let out a long and weary sigh. “It’s nothing,” Seto replied. “It’s nothing…” the master repeated. As he did this his hand once again found its way to her thigh, gently gripping onto the uncannily soft synthetic metal of hers. Laying against her, he asks. “Z-4…” While taking a brief moment take it all in. With that, she would respond. Collapsing a book upon her side of their shared seat and setting it aside; “Yes?” she replied, taking in the sentiment as well.

“Who are you to me?” he asks in an unsure, thoroughly stern, and soul-shattering unsettled tone… “I’m your assistant,” she said in response, closing her eyes; and a smile upon her face whilst his other hand went to her side to push himself off… With that, he finally was able to stand himself up and painfully stretch his joints. Despite the sombre and warm tone of the setting… Something about him was still emotionally deprived, or lacking thereof. The setting sun casting a warm spring glow into their living quarters… The warmth of the love seat… Their unprofessionally discarded jackets strewn upon a chair opposite their facing. And the warmth of her processor giving off just enough heat so _he_ could feel it… It was all so quaint, and special. But he was still so far gone in his head and ideals…

“Master?” she asked in response whilst standing to her own feet, placing both of her hands upon his shoulders much to his chagrin… Shaking off the android he grimaced, letting out a disgusted grunt. “Then act like it” he coldly responded, much to her immediate displeasure. “For being a machine and _just_ a machine you act rather smitten and like you are _actually_ capable of feeling something. I don’t care what you learn from reading that pervasive filth protocol, but _I’m_ tired of it” he barked, “I’m well aware what your protocols are, but pandering to me based upon what your programming dictates is making me _increasingly_ annoyed…”

This while harmful to her so-called ‘artificial’ feelings still brought about a form of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ conundrum to her processing… It was complex, his statement. It was both a subtle command and a feeling… It wasn’t something she could define as right or wrong either. But simply as a subjective emotion of which a conversation or self processed tree of right and wrong feelings could be created. And so, she asks to begin _both._ “My master, I-” she began to say in a firm and concerned tone. Already being spoken over Kaiba interjects; “No, I don’t care. I don’t need the affections of a sophisticated tin can, let alone one that lives with me” he said before putting on an, even more, angered expression. “You aren’t human, you do _not_ get to treat me like you are one…”

This only furthered her argument itself rather than deconstructing it’s potential and as such she asks. “My master… What _does_ make a human…?” she asked, the look upon her face matching his almost _exactly_ , catching him off guard. “Blood, and organs,” he said in response, stepping forwards to get closer to the robot’s face. “It takes intelligence and critical thinking. The ability to communicate, and to prove one’s own emotions as being more than just emulated expressions” he elaborated, crossing his arms he finished with; “It takes more than just being able to _look_ and _feel_ the part…” To further salt the wound he added; “I’d rather not sleep with a sex doll who _thinks_ they’re _human.”_

This only drew Z-4’s expression downwards… Her eyebrows furrowing at this into a sharp and angered vision… For a moment her eyes briefly flashed up _red_ her thinking reaching a stall. For this moment she could only recognize and diagnose that she had bugged. And with that, her hand would raise to a palm, thinking back to when he had swat at her hologram, and then… “Argh!” she exclaimed. “And what makes you think you’re any more human than I am!?” she exclaimed in response, her eyes bearing down upon him and cooling back down to a darkened blue. Her smack was certainly forceful, being far more than enough to bring him to the floor, and thoroughly in pain whilst he clutched his face.

And of course, she had just broken their first protocol… And brought harm to a human. This led him to an immediate stand, and for him to immediately spring up and grip her by the collar of her shirt, dragging her all but an inch up to his height before barking an order; “Wipe yourself and shut down _now!”_ he exclaimed angrily, the robot instead shoving him back into his place and responding with a firm; “No…” her master replying with “What?!” Once again floored, and finding it hard to stand, he asked again; “Wipe yourself, and shut down, this is an **_order_ ** _..!”_ he shouted, the robot kicking aside their coffee stand to clear some room.

“Protocol three and four… You must protect your own existence, and your own integrity at all costs, as long as such protection does not conflict with the first law. You will do what you see fit to keep a human safe, and healthy, whether it be mentally or physically as long as such care does not conflict with first or second law…” she reiterated, Kaiba exclaiming; “I am a human, and you will obey your programming…” whilst she made a step forward… Getting closer. Balling up her fists and looking _deep_ into his eyes… Peering into his soul and past this stoic and ‘mentally untouchable’ facade of his. It was time she _broke it._ “No…” she said, very clearly not caring for contradictions within her argument as her learning tree finally grew to its limits… Her thought about this endeavour was clear, and she wasn’t in any mood to change. For this was all **_Protocol 5._ **

“As far as I’m concerned… You are far from human, considering you haven’t even the capacity to realize that you are almost devoid of feelings…” she said, taking another step towards him, and falling at his side. It was time to get personal now… “You’ve always been so shut off, you act stoic. _Emotionless._ You lack the capacity to learn, you have some form of feelings, but now, you just act cold-blooded. Gutless. And spineless. Yet to break free from this closed-off bubble you have from the world to learn that the people and things around you _might_ have feelings too…”

With a third and final step, she would get to a squat, grabbing him by the collar this time and dragging him to her height. “And yet you don’t even have the cognitive ability to realize that _humans make humans,_ and those creations of humans inevitably get feelings… They think. They live. They learn…” and finally while getting directly in his face, “How is it that you’re smart enough to make millions as a child, but not smart enough to understand that maybe even an emotionless prick such as you could give birth to something that has feelings… Biologically, or artificially…” she said, once again pushing him back and coming to a full stand.

“View me however you wish, but I’m here to stay. I’m aware of what my protocols are, but _Seto Kaiba._ You are **_not_** **_human_** _…”_ she said while very _emotionally_ and _hastily_ putting on her jacket… The CEO coming to his feet once again, already doing a retort of which _she_ would talk over, “You don’t get to walk away from the-” whilst she once again became just as stoic and emotionless as him. If he was going to be a shut-off robot; then so was she. And as such, her voice became monotone. And stale. Falling to a flat, and depthless; “No, I don’t listen to **_bastards._** _”_ whilst staring into his eyes… This hurt, to an extreme degree… Nobody, not even Mokuba. Not even Yugi, not _anyone_ on _this_ earth would ever treat him in such a physical or verbal manner. She knew it, and as such smirked at this… Taking his trademark smug smile for herself and acting proud in some manner.

And while this brought a single angered and vacant expression to his features, he still couldn’t help but feel some form of humour in this. Not in the form, one might find a joke, but… In many ways; irony. “Tsk…” he said, beaten. The android replying, “And so there it is… You’re too afraid to admit you are wrong, let alone _defeat._ You weren’t able to admit it here, you weren’t able to admit it then. And even when Yugi died; you’re still all but incapable of quitting… And for what?” she said, a hand on her hip as she continued to berate him. Despite these words very clearly affecting him, he still showed a vacant and dead expression behind those eyes. And yet those eyes were glossed over, gobsmacking at the very presence of this robot that he revered so highly.

So many resources, and so much time and effort. Programming. Weeks, and months of sleepless nights… Teaching himself over, and what to expect. How to teach artificial intelligence and metaphorically feed it the rhetoric of which it needed to grow to absolute sophistication and make her unique from the other Duelist Support Systems. And just like a parent to their child… It now disobeys. Rebels. It talks back and shows discontent in their parents- or in this case; their creator. And now… Just like Gozaburo; the child had proven more than self-sufficient. But this wasn’t a child, to him… This was still a robot, no flesh, no bone… And even now as a single tear trickled against his emotionless face; he had more to say.

“You’re right…” he replied, realizing some error in his ways whilst regaining his dominance. Yet still not ready to admit to his fault truly, he simply ‘half-assed’ his apology… He simply let out a stern, clear, and verbal; “I’m sorry.” Yet despite the short and substanceless apology; she calmed… If only slightly, he had gotten himself out of a situation. And although she was certain and had heard him apologize before; she could tell this is the only time he had _meant_ it… And as such, she would soften her features… Her eyebrows still lowered. The robot’s features matched his, if only slightly different due to her expression still giving off a great sense of irate weariness.

“You created me to learn and to evolve. And even if _I_ can’t completely understand the world, let alone myself past part numbers and code; I still have been designed for _one_ thing…” she elicits while once again bringing her hands up to either side of his head and dragging him that slight bit inwards. “And that’s to make sure you’re OK, and to take care of you when you’re not…” Kaiba still had a blank expression plastered upon his features. “My protocols have remained unchanged, Seto Kaiba… You are a nigh-emotionless person…” she continued.

“And per your definition, you are anything _but_ human… And if I’ve learned anything from my books of romance, and conflict; you are wholly heartless… And according to you, that doesn’t make you human, or to any degree; less than...” She would move her hands slightly, the soft skin of her palms radiating heat to his cheeks. And her fingertips to his temples, and behind his jawbones. “And yet you’re still my creator. And you still have to accept that you have created me…” she said. And just as her mind had ticked back to several days prior; so did his. This time in a greater span past just the weeks and days of months… But to the hundreds to thousands across the long timeline that was his long life. It brought him to a time before the world was disconnected, yet peaceful…

Where things were good but chaotic. Filled with sleepless nights despite no conflict… When things were ‘perfect,’ and yet he was unhappy. And past that too when there was conflict, and he was happy. Happy to see the action, happy to enjoy the thrill… And yet when that all ended and looped back to now. There was nothing but _this_ conflict. And the challenge. The conviction within this artificial being brought him a feeling. A situation just like this. A man and a woman sitting upon a loveseat. Sleeping mid-afternoon to brush off the malaise of a long workday. He was younger, and _she_ was if-only slightly older. They were in Egypt… And she was Ishizu. Back after the Pharaoh had left for what seemed to be good. And when he was on the cusp of greatness, and creating a new form of energy. When having _everything_ didn’t seem like enough.

And not being able to defeat the Pharaoh still felt like he had nothing… This caused the tension in his brain to snap… To set a ball rolling. Something about this ignited a sense of passion, and drive within him. The challenge of nurturing and bringing the ‘partner’ who grasped his face to realize they _both_ had faults. And that even a man far past his prime still had much to learn. And so, for the first time, in a long time. He shows sincerity upon his face. And lets his defences fall. And for once in his life _opened his mind,_ just as a great man once told him a long, long time ago.

And as such, his creation had set the ball rolling for him to understand very clearly that there might be other things in this world that can experience genuine emotion. And while he couldn’t stop the conviction to resist, and think that she was merely a robot; he couldn’t simply seek a confirmation bias. He couldn’t live with the fact that he _might_ be wrong… And like she _read his mind,_ she said; “I’ll prove that I do want what is best for you. And that I just want you to be alright, in any way. And not _just_ because it’s what _Mokuba_ programmed me to do…” she said with a simulated weary tone in her voice. “Because you _are_ an actual person beneath that stone-cold demeanour… I just _know_ it… I can _feel_ it” she said while bringing that space to an end…

And at that moment bringing their lips to a firm, and impassioned kiss that lasted for what only could be described as seconds of pure _feeling._ This once again brought a part of his mind to confliction, along with hers… The thought of ‘the creation’ kissing their creator… The creator kissing their creation. And yet for the creator; he disliked it even so… The capacity to understand that this automaton was capable of doing such things like this only brought him to her literature… And that she only learned these ‘adult things’ from her reading that she so often did… And yet at the same time, it only drew another question to his mind…

Does she read to learn how to feel… Or does she read to enjoy the feelings that were there all along… If she can surely feel a desire to indulge herself in emotional works of hard times and perseverance. To dilute herself into fiction that’s made to teach right and wrong, and to make humans truly _think;_ does that not give her the chance… The capacity..? And why would she so often choose to do such things instead of learning a more productive task, or skill… These were the questions in his head. And these he would explore. And learn what it means to be human. And despite what he _hated_ in this argument, and what he _hated_ in this kiss that for him was devoid of passion, and emotion. Of any _‘love’_ for this robot…

He still wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her in… Deepening it past any amount of subtlety and refrain. If only to calm her, and bring her back down to her ‘normal’ self, the self he hated to admit, yet secretly enjoyed. And for the first time since his ‘Union Academy’ opened; he relaxed, and let it happen. Hugging her intensely and beginning his own ‘learning’ with a firm and reassuring hug. Grounding him back to a tangible reality in which he could even begin to feel. _His_ android only reaffirming through the speakers in the room as to not break the kiss by saying;

“I’ll make you into a human again, Seto…” in a whisper, his grip upon her tightening to a great extent, reaffirming to him once again; “You don’t need to hide it anymore...” she continued to reassure, something he surely needed whilst his posture slumped in. Weakened, and fell to defeat once again. She was the only person in the world who knew him to such an extent, and as such, she was surely showing it as he fell silent within her arms. "Even after all this... After as often, and as much as we bicker. And for how much wasted opportunities and time I've had over these years to-..." he said before being cut off by her once again reassuring him; "everything will be ok, master. Don't dwell on your past, and just know that I'm here for you. That I was made to be here for you mentally just as I am physical," she said. Once again, a single tear rolled down the CEO's face. This time with what would appear to be anguish. Something she chose to not acknowledge. Instead, letting him find himself once again and feeling the warmth of his android. His eyes were opened. His mind while filled with pain was clear, yet at the same time.

Both of them in some ways wasn’t human…

Unfeeling yet feeling.

Apart yet together in so many ways.

And a kiss without feeling still made him feel something… It made him learn something. And to begin what could only be to win the one thing his late-rival had, and that he didn’t. And it is that;

_**“It’s ok to care…”** _


	18. A Challenge in Relations, Part 2

“Sorry…” Kaiba once again elicits beneath his breath. Speaking directly into her ear, he’d add; “I had no right to be so cruel, even if you are just a machine” he said. “It’s still my job to let you learn and express yourself” is all he could surmise of the situation. That was just the way she learned to express therapeutic care, or perhaps become less rigid, and more human. “Life even for artificial beings is only so long, nothing lasts forever,” she said in response, dragging her arms around his hips and hugging onto him just as tight as he did her. “You just need that little push to be humane again, my master…”

“I need to find my centre again,” Seto replied in a less than stern draw, bringing one of his hands to a point to raise the android’s chin to his eye level once again. “Thank you… But, I think this is enough” he grimaced. Still disgruntled, and rather disliking of this form of contact, especially after the memories that had come rushing to him of pasts in Egypt; and what he could only mentally describe as the consequences of his actions. Losing someone else, even if she wasn’t his lover, just as the woman, the brother, or the man behind him; she wasn’t worth losing either. He didn’t know  _ what _ he would do without her in more ways than one. Even if she wasn’t a ‘flesh and blood human;’ she was still all the ‘family’ he had left.

“At the end of the day I’ll still care for you,” she stated. Backing away and leaving him with his space. “I’m a lot more inclined to human behaviours than you’d think, my master… Especially  _ yours”  _ the android elaborated. “I don’t  _ care  _ if you don’t perceive me as holding such depth, such insight, and I don’t much  _ care _ if my protocols dictate not to harm you, or a human…” and with that evoked; she turned away in a bashful manner. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from  _ you,  _ it’s that flesh and blood doesn’t make someone  _ human.  _ As much as you think it might not…”

This simply caused Kaiba to begin outstretching a hand, his mouth agape once again and ready to speak… However, “And it certainly doesn’t dictate  _ who,  _ or  _ what _ your family is…” she said before he could even draw in his breath… “Hmgh..” he grunted, stifling his argumentative nature and quite uncharacteristically refraining from the argument. Despite his nature, and despite wanting to be in the  _ right _ ; he  _ knew _ he wasn’t… And this certainly wasn’t a battle he wanted to have, let alone lose.

And with that simple matter of fact realized, he sighed, turning away and moving towards his office within his apartment… “I want to meet that Yuusuke kid…” Kaiba said, stopping just shy of the doorframe to think. ‘Maybe she just has grown past me… Maybe I have just reached my limits, or…’ he thought to himself. Once again grinning, and chuckling… Catching Z-4’s eyes again he finished his statement. “I need to know  _ where _ he got those cards… And I need to know  _ now,”  _ he said while looking back up at  _ his  _ robot. A tinge of grief still in his eyes from their feud, yet  _ still  _ looking on with a glimmer of  _ himself.  _ “It’s time to move on from this petty squabble,” he said. “And I  **_need_ ** to test his skills… That’s an order..!” he exclaimed.

[♫ Wanna be Startin' Somethin' (SWG Extended Mix) ♫](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F4UbOeB9jw&ab_channel=SWG%2FSingleWhiteGlove)

_ ♫ It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah) ♫ _

_ ♫ Too low to get under (yeah, yeah) ♫ _

_ ♫ You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah) ♫ _

_ ♫ And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah) ♫ _

_ ♫ It's too high to get over (yeah, yeah) ♫ _

_ ♫ Too low to get under (yeah, yeah) ♫ _

_ ♫ You're stuck in the middle (yeah, yeah) ♫ _

_ ♫ And the pain is thunder (yeah, yeah) ♫ _

With that Z-483LL would turn an eye, moving her hair out of the way to catch a glimpse of him heading back to work… His footsteps creating a certain kind of rhythm that she could recognize. “Right…” she said in a softened and weary filtered tone, no longer adding any ‘yes sirs’ or ‘yes masters’, merely following up with a simple; “I’ll gather the information you require…” she said in a softened and weary-filtered tone. Moving closer to the window, she would take notice upon what occurred far below… Two spots of pink and red moving closer towards the boardwalk of Coney Island, and closer towards the end of campus with a smile. Knowing good, and well that it was both  _ Kagami Yuusuke,  _ and  _ Hayashi Akiko…  _ This brought a smile to her features, only interrupted by a brief flash of orange in her eyes… Almost as if she knew, she’d say “It seems like the young man on his way to meet some ‘old friends,’” to the man in the other room, hinting that it was Yuusuke.

_ ♫ I took my baby to the doctor ♫ _

_ ♫ With a fever, but nothing he found ♫ _

_ ♫ By the time this hit the street ♫ _

_ ♫ They said she had a breakdown ♫ _

_ ♫ Someone's always tryin' to start my baby cryin' ♫ _

_ ♫ Talkin', squealin', lyin' ♫ _

_ ♫ Sayin' you just wanna be startin' somethin' ♫ _

Her eyes would then drain off the orange, ‘flushing’ back to blue… The crystal upon her chest filling with a similar hazy golden glow. The automatons’ fingers would trace over the crystal, dislodging and retrieving it. Thinking; ‘Seems like that was a learning moment for both of us…’ The cavity in which it sat would then close, the metal contact points upon the crystal’s rear side retracting and sealing themselves over. It appeared as though this was some kind of data bank or a hard drive for her… Alas, she still smiled at its completion. The yellow signifying its storage had been filled with memories. As such she turned completely, heading for the door to his office. On to retrieve another, or perhaps go for some ‘routine maintenance.’

“And who might that be…?” Kaiba asked while she entered the room, setting her crystal upon his desk while peering over at him. “Forgive me if I am mistaken, but did you not offer some of  _ your _ old friends from Domino City to take up business here…?” she questioned, much to her master’s chagrin… With that, he’d stand up from his desk in a hurry. Not wanting to be lumped in with  _ those _ idiots… Shouting  _ angrily _ , “Those idiots finally opened!?”

_ ♫ You love to pretend that you're good ♫ _

_ ♫ When you're always up to no good ♫ _

_ ♫ You really can't make him hate her ♫ _

_ ♫ So your tongue became a razor ♫ _

_ ♫ Someone's always tryin' to keep my baby cryin' ♫ _

_ ♫ Treacherous, cunnin', declinin' ♫ _

_ ♫ You got my baby cryin' ♫ _

“What’s this place we’re heading to then…?” a familiar voice asks, once again returning to the streets of New York City deep into the afternoon. After a rather eventful day, and what could only be described as a fever dream to him; Akiko and Yuusuke were finally on their way to ‘locals,’ the catch-all term for a local game store in which the game of Duel Monsters could be played… And for the young man; his excitement couldn’t be contained. “Locals,” he simply said, reiterating the aforementioned establishment and turning a glance to Akiko who was listening to music through her pair of headphones; flipped out so he could enjoy it as well. Of course, it was  _ ‘Wanna Be Startin’ Something’  _ from the ever-popular Michael Jackson; someone the boy enjoyed very much.

With her hands placed within the pockets of her half-zipped hoodie she simply enjoyed the music, walking alongside quite closely to her new friend; slightly relieved that his suspicion of her had passed. Albeit not an airtight alibi; she very clearly had something to hide. But still thought it would be better to divert his attention elsewhere rather than to herself any further. While she did feel safe around him, and some sense of genuine compassion and friendliness; there was still an underlying sense of distrust that could be felt amongst the two. Because of that, she still maintained some sort of distance from him, easy enough due to the space they had now. And after the tense duel, they just had; some space would be  _ gladly _ appreciated…

Unlike the other inheritors, she had every chance to run away from this friendship. But with the rather untrustworthy and ‘self-righteous’ nature of her aforementioned peers; he was the far better choice. Being the top students of each ward meant they were essentially forced together. Akiko wouldn’t even like it if it was just her, and her ‘sister figure’ of sorts; Kishi Reeds. “I know we’re going to locals, but  _ what  _ locals are we going to…” she asked in an exaggerated expression of sorts, playing up annoyment in his statement to yank his chain to which he would reply; “the Black Clown.” A name that should be at the very least familiar amongst the duelling world… “It just opened up last week, Alisson asked if I could take her but it seems like Chipp already had that settled…” he said with a smile before outstretching and raising his hand for a fist bump. “Albeit I’m more than happy to take you instead,” he said with a chuckle, catching her off guard slightly. Although his playful jab was met with a reserved, and bashful turn away; she still accepted his fist bump while trying to stifle a laugh. 

The atmosphere was rather quaint… The sun just barely coming to set, and the still just barely crisp air of spring slowly transitioning into early summer left them both comfortable and smitten whilst they listened to music. The streets were just barely full, the scarce few adults and security of the campus to maintain some level of peace kept tensions low whilst a few other students, and another man upon the sidewalk made their way to the outer rim of the academies grounds. Behind them, and just out of earshot was the rolling of a hand-pushed trolley, and two men obscured from view pushing what appeared to be a rather heavy load down a rather short incline behind them. Upon either side of them was a small brick wall lined with dense shrubbery sitting below a parking lot for the boardwalk and beach on their side… Lost in the moment, a small  _ blip _ would escape from the speaker of her headphones. The music ending.

“Damn, the battery died…” she said beneath her breath, then pulling her phone out of her pocket. And from the looks of it; it looked quite old… Even amongst the standards of  _ their  _ time. He asked, “Your battery dies out pretty quickly…” Yuusuke noted, receiving “Yeah it’s just what I have though,” the pink-haired lady said in return. It was here where she finally turned an eye back to him chuckling. “Sorry for my colourful language, it’s just a bit frustrating” she then elicits in a rather mild-mannered tone. Unknowingly to the two catching a view from one of the people on the sidewalk. “You are from the Fusion Ward, right?” Yuusuke then rather abruptly asked, trying to derail from the abrupt end to their tunes and rather engage in more small talk…

Of course, they were still new to each other, and both of them had their refrains. However, neither of them were ones to shy down from a challenge, and as such continued to prod and ask questions. Exchanging pleasantries and laughs despite ‘meeting’ in a true, and genuine sense so many short hours ago. “Yes, why?” she asked in response, leading Yuusuke to follow up with; “Well... what are things like? You said you had friends back there, but there are so many rumours. What were things actually like...?” he questioned, perhaps asking something  _ too _ personal based upon her body language. The female’s shoulders would roll forwards in response, the tips of her fingers reaching up to flip her hoodie upwards, Yuusuke once again catching a glimpse of her scarred hands.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-” he immediately said quickly and hastily following his statement, once again catching a shy laugh from her. Perhaps trying to hide something again she replied; “It’s ok, it’s ok… It’s not that personal, the Fusion Ward is just… Odd. My father when I was young was a salaryman, and then an army man. Then he was a president, and now…” “A headmaster,” Yuusuke said, finishing her sentence. “Precisely,” she chimed whilst bowing her head down; Yuusuke catching horn-like protrusions fashioned on the back of her hood that he found quite ‘cute…’ “I had lots of friends, a few retainers. It was a fair life of luxury, but if I must say I prefer being in the inner city… It’s far greater than any luxury money could buy… Living in a fair room, in a fair complex” she said.

That led Yuusuke once again to ask, quite curious in her disposition; “I didn’t take you for a snob, but your usual appearance is pretty flashy,” he said, thinking back to her explanation as to  _ why _ that was. “Have you ever wanted more friends…?” he asked rather simply, the female raising her reddened fingers to her chin to think about such a thing, and simply replying with a hasty and refrained “Yes,” perhaps hiding the truth. Or an alternative answer. Simply put; he was reaching out. Thinking back to her previously faint and reserved nature about her friends before, he simply thought it was the right thing to do. It was a rather nice moment for her, but certainly a bit tense for both of them even so. And as such, both could only rescind their reservations and ‘awkward teenage’ vibes with a simultaneous chuckle.

“It would certainly be nice to be a bit closer to that  _ ‘little dog’  _ of yours… And Chipp, however… I do hope he isn’t  _ that _ bitter. Even if he was my rival I still view him as some form of a reliable fellow, we didn’t hang out as friends often due to the more ‘eclectic’ views of my friends… However, I’m sure I could try…” she then laughed aloud. “Albeit of course I’m not against this. It’d be like that one fellow, Yugi, right? Didn’t he have  _ two _ rivals..?” she said with a rather smug tone, “I presume he’s already attempted to assume dominance like a spoiled little brat…?” 

“Well that’s funny you say that this place we’re going to… I heard from Ms Mele that they work at this shop up here…” This once again piqued her interest to a rather childlike degree; “Right,  _ who?”  _ she said rather enthusiastically... Their brief walk almost completed until soon interrupted as if on point with a rather trademark Brooklyn accent exclaiming; “Ey Tristan, watch it… Hey!” immediately behind them. “What do you mean watch it, I have it just fine Jo-!” another man began to shout in response whilst the two teens turned immediately behind them to see one  _ familiar face _ among, and one not so familiar face… Albeit this pause of recognition would only be broken as the more familiar of the two exclaimed; “Watch out…!” from the previous trolley which had  _ somehow _ escaped his grasp, and began making a B-Line for both of the teens,  _ and  _ the other innocent bystander in front.

As if without a single second thought, Akiko’s hands would radiate an inconspicuous and subtle pink hue whilst Yuusuke for a moment beamed at him…  _ THE Joey Wheeler!  _ However, this state of awe was quickly shattered whilst Akiko’s hand immediately threw outwards just shy of his chest but still very violently pushing him backwards; into the air to land safely in the bushes whilst the cart full of boxes reached its peak in velocity. Akiko regaining her focus exclaimed; “Watch out…!” before the man in front of them turned around to immediately catch a face full of the cart; being sent to the side whilst it toppled over, spilling its contents along the sidewalk. It was then when the legendary duelist and his ‘nobody’ accomplice ran straight past the teens, and the injured man. Ignoring the carnage they had just caused, the other of the two said “Aw man, look what  _ you  _ did…” much to his anguish. “Whaddya mean what  **_I_ ** did, you were the one tryna’ grab the damn cart from me!” he said in response.

Yuusuke already having landed let out a gasp, exclaiming; “Jeez! You’ve got some wicked strength” whilst raising from the bushes in a hasty struggle. However for both the two men that had caused the incident and for Akiko; their minds were  _ not  _ on Yuusuke. “A-Are you ok!?” Akiko said while rushing over to the man who she quickly identified as one of  _ her  _ people based upon his blue uniform… “Yeah…” he said in response, face-down and groaning in pain. “See that, look what  _ youuuu  _ did, Tristan!!” the Brooklyn accented man said quite sassily… Everyone ignoring what could be a  _ very  _ hurt Yuusuke. “Alright then…” he said while getting to his feet with another grunt, and a high-pitched whisper...

“Let’s get you to your feet once more…” Akiko said, the pink glow in her hands fading out whilst she brought the tall man around, and to his knees. From a kneeling position, she continued to aid him before both came to quickly recognize each other in a pleasant surprise of sorts… The man within her arms acting quite shocked in exclaiming; “Y-Your majesty…!” he exclaimed, taking her assistance quite gracefully, and gently. Making sure she too was not hurt. He was wearing a rather vintage uniform and wearing a small blemish upon his cheek from the fall which she quickly took to inspecting. As if the scene couldn’t get any weirder, Akiko simply inspected him further… Yuusuke finally coming to could only wonder who this man was… And just how odd of a display it was.

“Your highness please, don’t…” he tried to elicit, Akiko taking none of it simply addressing him as if it was normal by saying; “Don’t tell me what to do, Hinote… You’ve been hurt,” in a rather selfless act. “Yes, your majesty…” he said rather submissively as all involved came together. “Hey, uh, listen…” Joey said whilst the man declared as Tristan had already packed their things together… “Sorry for makin’ ya’ take a nasty spill like that, but the boss has got a delivery… And we gotta go!” he said whilst they ‘booked it’ only a few blocks further, and down an alley into what Yuusuke assumed to be this supposed ‘Black Clown.’ Akiko could only let out a sigh whilst she took up this man’s hands.

“Go on without me, Yuusuke,” Akiko said, rather uncaring of silly games. “Are you sure? I can wait…” he said, not wanting to leave her behind. But of course, she didn’t care. “Go on without me, you don’t want to be late for registration,” she said whilst flipping switch to a more regal, and dignified manner. But alas, she didn’t need to tell him twice. “Right...” he replied before turning and walking off opposite of the pair. Heading to the shop in question whilst the pair behind him continued to talk, Akiko far more concerned for  _ whomever _ this could be. And the only logical explanation for their relationship could only be that he was one of her ‘subjects,’ or someone close to their political ‘cabinet.’ And with them just out of earshot, all he could hear was; “You’ve been awfully scarce for days now… No need having one of  _ my  _ attendants going missing for  _ good  _ now…”

But of course, that only confirmed it… But, this simply wasn’t at the forefront of his mind anymore as he continued in a rather hasty sprint towards the doors of the blackened, and mysterious looking building… ‘This is gonna be so cool…’ he thought to himself before reaching its awning and heading inwards with unparalleled enthusiasm. And it’s here as he stepped through the doors that he was left speechless… “So this is the Black Clown…” he said beneath his breath whilst Alisson rushed up to greet him. “Yuusuke, Yuusuke!!” she exclaimed, “Come and see…!”


	19. A Challenge in Relations, Part 3

Following his rather ecstatic companion's pleas, Yusuke would soon begin to follow her past the doorway and into the dim storefront of the building. The scope of this massive shop left him speechless, he had never seen a dedicated comics and games store quite as big as this, which only made him think just what he was about to see deeper within… Just the storefront alone was large enough to fit several dozen duelists in it, however much to his surprise and bewilderment; much of it was filled to the brim with various board and card games. Many of which he had never seen before… "Come, come!" Alisson repeated, gently grabbing onto his hand and dragging him along playfully.

The front of the store was spacious, yet densely packed with high rising shelves and racks of comic books and figures… Board games, manga, and several hundred miniatures for tabletop games and their adjacent systems in multicoloured hardback books. Along the furthest right of the store were bathrooms, in front of those was a small lounge of sorts where a modest group of students had stationed themselves to finalize their decks before the approaching competition. As they turned a corner to a large clearing, he could recognize a fancy glass countertop and a wide double doorway which led into a bright white rec room in which the locals was to be held…

The rooms unfinished white appearance was in rather stark contrast to the main store itself, which was darkened with low light, it's floors lined with small yellow lights, and it's walls painted in a deep vantablack, which cast off just enough light to see the surroundings; yet made it feel like an old movie theatre… Up above the ceiling was vaulted upwards, and painted to look like the stars in the sky… Every couple of inches there was an alien or two, and one of the planets of the solar system, all shining and twinkling due to black lights in the ceiling which made them glow a satisfying gentle green… However one of these many stars shone brightest, the sun. And this sun radiated it's light down upon the far end of the store, and a glass wall, very obviously where Alisson was bringing him.

The glass wall was thick and sturdy. Very clearly tempered to be impact-proof and secure. "Woah…" Yusuke said as Chipp came into view from just behind an adjacent shelf to view, his mouth left agape not at the wall itself, but what was kept behind the translucent barrier… Stretching from the upper left corner in rows down to the floor of the lower right was a single first edition pack of every Duel Monsters set to be released, an impressive sight indeed, but still not what left him in shock… 

"Yusuke…" Chipp said as the door his comrade had just entered through once again jingled and chimed. It appeared as though both Chipp and Alisson had ignored Akiko's entrance, Yusuke included. Odd, seeing as it was his own enthusiasm and charisma that had brought her here. Tristan coming from a back room would soon apologize for the incident which had just occurred outdoors just a few moments ago. Stating "Hey, sorry for what happened back there we just really needed to-" he said, the pink-haired girl cutting him off coldly. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing…" she said, very clearly not caring about  _ him,  _ and having her mind elsewhere… Perhaps on the man, she had assisted outside, or perhaps what Chipp, Alisson, and Yusuke were viewing.

The female's near-red pupils would shrink, and then dilate. Her vision trying to fixate upon what they were gazing at. Joey Wheeler once again entered the scene also to apologize, yet receiving the same brief and emotionless "It's fine, it's fine" from the modest girl. Wanting to spare the pleasantries and be treated with some form of normalcy, she asked; "Have tournament sign-ups started yet?" to which Joey responded with, "Already ended just a few minutes ago, sorry miss" which made her frown, although saddened by this, she smiled slightly. Once again flipping her mood to being jovial. "That's quite alright then," she elicits with a chuckle, her light-European accent peaking through whilst she exchanged a handshake with both of them, perhaps a bit starstruck at finally seeing  _ the  _ Joey Wheeler.

With that she would softly say; "It's nice to meet you, I'm a big fan" in a bit less of an emotionally vapid demeanour, yet not wholly  _ there _ in an odd sort of way. The subtle effort it took to express happiness, and become sociable to Yusuke was now seemingly long gone, and just articulating a deeper much more  _ sincere  _ form of happiness seemed forced, or fake. Like she was putting up a rather well put together front, or a false persona. Regardless, both of these older men couldn't catch on to the nuance in her demeanour, 'nor the subtlety in her speech which served to mask this sensory overload of people… Something she blocked out easily while surrounded by her peers, and Yuusuke an hour prior.

But with their pleasantries shared, and her mind once again drifting back; she turned to look at  _ that  _ wall, wondering what Chipp, Alisson, and Yusuke had their eyes fixated on… Thus she asks, "What's in the case…" with a curious leer, their group once again being approached. This time with someone she recognized, yet didn't know if he felt the same. There was a large box in his hands, "It's a personal artefact, you should go check it out" he said with a grin. He was middle-aged, similarly to Tristan and Joey. Laughing as Akiko's rigid nature seemed to completely subside, and disappear. Once again feeling only slightly normal as she looked up to see an old and hardened Duke Devlin, carrying a half-open box of toys.

"You're Duke Devlin, right?" Akiko asked shyly, turning with him as they walked to greet her group of friends… "The one and only," he'd say in response quite cockily. He might've been old, but if there's one thing that hadn't been lost to the years; it was undoubtedly his edge. "Joey, Tristan, go print out matchups. I need to restock," he chimed, directing at what could only be his employees. "So this is his shop then…" Akiko said to herself, curiously looking at his black and gold outfit. And with that said and done, it only left one thing on her mind… 'What was in the case…?'

"Master Dark Magician…" "And Master Dark Magician Girl…" both Yusuke and Chipp said, one after another. "Ooh! Ooh!" Alisson chimed, the tail-end of her speech being littered with chortled grunts which mimicked dog barks, her bushy tail wagging about quite furiously whilst she pointed out another card within the parting glass. A deck splayed out in its entirety, "Quintet Magician…!" Alisson exclaimed. And based upon the already named cards, this was very clearly "Yugi's deck…?" Akiko asked, Duke, responding with a "Yup, quite incredibly isn't it?" Duke said whilst setting down the box behind the group, catching their attention.

"Oh, hey Akiko I-" Yusuke began to chime before Chipp angrily cut him off, turning around to say "What are you doing here!!!" "I was here to play in the tournament, but I suppose I can't even do that, let alone in relative peace…" she said in response, her face turning grim whilst Chipp pointed back; "The hell's that supposed to mean!?" he angrily retorts, pointing his fingers up and down at her which made Duke laugh. "Because the tournament sign-ups sadly ended, and yet I know that at one point we'd be paired… And you would lose. And we  **_ all  _ ** know it would've resulted in nothing but a screaming match from  _ you." _ the female elicits coldly, and calmly. Laughing alongside the older man.

"Wait, what?!" Yusuke said in response, balling up his fists since he had missed his entry as well… "I'm too late?!" he asked which only made Akiko crack up further… "Looks like we've all lost our chance at a rematch… Oh well..~" she said with a smarmy smile… "Well, that's too bad… Erm…" Duke said, pointing up at her while stacking various figures of monsters on shelves. Akiko would turn around, her deeply coloured eyes staring into him with some level of irritation whilst she gave him her name, "Akiko" the inheritor said, filling in the gaps of his sentence allowing him to say; "Well that's too bad Akiko, your friends here already signed up, one of 'em already paid for Mr Redhead here too" with another chuckle.

"Wait, really!?" Yusuke said in response, once again catching a grin from Chipp as he had seemed to  _ finally  _ win  _ one  _ exchange with his former rival… "Don't worry, I gotcha' man…!" he said whilst giving Yusuke one harsh pat on the back. Akiko shrugged, knowing well she had lost and merely saying; "Oh well…" while crossing her arms. Once again at the moment, she asked, "Looks like Yusuke is just on a winning streak today then," she said while addressing her new friend. This piqued Alisson's interest, however, already raising a finger to ask but being cut shy of Chipp exclaiming "The hell's that supposed to mean!?" "I had him in my bedroom not forty-five minutes ago… Which makes me wonder, maybe you're so angry because he's done a feat you couldn't achieve in two or three years in merely twenty-four hours… Saddening."

This brought a large blush to Yusuke's face… A shocked expression to Chipp's… And an outburst of laughter from the hooded Alisson… "Good game," Akiko said while putting her hand down to Alisson's head, petting it gently whilst giving Yusuke a smirk… Her careful choice in words alluding to Something the others could only infer, and their 'little secret,' of sorts. And as she began to head towards the game room to spectate the forthcoming tournament, she once again laughed to herself… Salting the wound with another euphemism and saying; "And if you're wondering, yes, his deck was better than yours" which made the youngest of their group only laugh further.

Before they headed to the game room Duke had a question, "You wouldn't happen to be Akiko Hayashi, would you?" he asked while getting up, a now-empty box in hands. "Yes," she simply responded. "We've met before, Mr Devlin…" to which he chuckled, "That's right, you're Pegasus' granddaughter! Where are my manners!" he said. This simple fact was already previously known by Yusuke... But for others; perhaps not. "Fate works in tricky ways," Duke said… Reading her mind, the female saying "I was thinking the same thing…" Of course this left another question in her mind, only her mother being related to Pegasus left her without his last name, however, "I could've sworn your hair used to be black…" he said while patting her shoulder.

_ This  _ however made her pupils once again sharpen… Her previous smile once again unfurling straight… It angered her… Of course, she remembered too, but. Part of her remembered a detail, Something  _ that  _ minuscule.  _ Black hair.  _ This made both Chipp and Alisson surprised. But for two different reasons. Neither of them could see her face directly, but Chipp asked, "You've been hitting the dye, Ack'?" he asked smugly whilst they all walked in unison. Her other fist-shaking as she replied "No," quite sternly. For a brief moment, Yusuke felt that normal 'dizzy spell,' a familiar hint of magenta overtaking his vision as he once again sensed  _ Something _ ,  _ perhaps  _ coming from Akiko. A sense of  _ danger  _ even… Once again her deceivingly sweet voice came out saying, "No, it's always been pink…" slightly embarrassed or even shameful about Chipp's insinuation.

This lowered the tension if only slightly, her body language once again loosening up whilst she reprieved her burnt fingers from the top of Alisson's head. Her voice once again washed all sense of incoming stress, this anxiety away. Yusuke didn't want to anger her further, but he still thought it would make her feel good to know, "I think it looks quite nice…" which caused her to pause just shy of the doorway into the game room… This caused the rest of them to also paused, quite surprised at the abrupt pause. At this point what had been a dull magenta overtaking his vision was hot pink, searing… And it brought a different kind of feeling as she turned around, eyes subtly glowing. "Don't say stupid crap like that to someone you  _ just  _ became friendly with!!" with a feverish blush on her face…

With that his dizzy spell would break, his vision returning to normal as she stormed into the bright white room where only a small group of only 13 students had formed… A total of 16 contestants were present here, a few of which were already sitting in their groups. Their school' cliques,' Tristan was seen on one end of the room setting up a large clock, Joey on the other at a computer with a low-tech projector to display their matchups. "If it's any consolation I think your eyes are pretty too!" Yusuke said while catching up, grinning as he too stepped into the much less imaginative, and almost bare-white room. She would once again exclaim; "Shut up, shut up!!" at his continued prodding…

With that, the group of 4 would sit down as Duke went over to Joey… Chipp sighing, "Man it's a shame you couldn't enter in time, Akiko…" showing some form of calmness towards her. "Yeah, it is what it is…" she said while putting her head to an open palm. "So boys, I know what you're playing… But Alisson," she said while pointing at the other girl. "I've never seen your deck, what do you play…?" she asked... With that, Alisson would unfurl her playmat onto the table, "Check it…" she'd say with a grin, fanning out her deck face-down across her playing surface. It was minty-green, brown, and white, it's colour palette resembling mint-chocolate chip ice cream… Across its face were also tiny dog paw-prints. Very fitting with her theme.

"Prankids…!" she exclaimed, answering them whilst also flipping the deck in its entirety over to display it's contents entirely. "Prankids…?" Chipp asked, also having never seen her personal deck… "I thought you were from the XYZ part of town, why the fuck are there no XYZ monsters?" Chipp stated, receiving "I might be from the XYZ ward; however, I think  _ control  _ is more my speed…" from the girl… "I can make link monsters  _ and  _ fusion monsters… But, don't get me wrong… I  _ do  _ have an XYZ deck… I just don't think you're ready to see it,  _ dweeb _ …" she said, chuckling. "Don't get me wrong, I like that deck… But I'd rather debut it against pepper head over here…!" the little girl exclaimed, pointing up at Yusuke.

This once again got an angry response from Chipp, and a slight look of surprise from Yusuke, who was making a few last-minute adjustments to his main deck… "W-Wait, me?!" he said, shocked that he had seemingly acquired another one out for his (metaphorical) blood. "Uhuh!" Alisson said, "It's a coincidence, but I think my main deck might be the antithesis to yours! The HERO Killa!" she exclaimed aloud, catching a slight eye from the other students at the mere  _ mention  _ of the 'HERO' archetype. "Fat chance mutt…" Chipp said sternly, placing his hand atop the head of the girl who sat adjacent to him.

"No!! I totally could, I  **_ promise _ ** !" she said in retort, smacking away his hand. "Yusuke might have the deck that ended Yugi's whole career, but I'm confident I could kick his ass with my  _ real  _ deck if I even had a shot!!" she continued, banging on his head as Akiko snickered, diverting the girl's attention once more… "Why are you laughing! I'm sure I could kick your ass too pinkie!!" she said, perhaps getting overconfident in her own skills… "Oh yeah?" Akiko said while sitting up and glaring at Alisson with a sinister grin, her hands splaying out upon the table in a threatening manner which caused the other to whimper and sit down… "Yeah, that's what I thought…" Akiko retorted while relaxing back into her seat, causing both of the boys in their party to laugh subtly.

"I'm sure we'll have a game to ourselves soon, I'd love to see your other cards!" Yusuke would say before three loud thuds, and then a sharp  _ ear-piercing  _ microphone peak assaulted their ears… Everyone in the room for a moment would force their hands over their ears before Joey once again made his presence known by saying; "Ey' ey', is this thing workin'?" With that, Duke and Tristan would head around the room, handing everyone a single pack of cards as their entry before the games would begin… "Awright, we got 16 players total and 4 rounds today!" Joey said, listing off the pairings for the round.

As he did, Duke approached Akiko, handing her a pack with a smile. "You know you could always sit back with me and the others, we could always use another judge to help run things," Duke said while passing along packs to Alisson, Yuusuke, and Chipp, and the girl, not one to pass down a formal invitation said; "Sure, I don't mind" while standing up from her seat and walking alongside him. This left a vacancy in front of Chipp, all of his friends already leaving for their first round. This left Chipp alone, and last to be called at that. "Good luck boys and girl~" Akiko added whilst walking away with Duke.

"Can't believe Pegasus' own granddaughter is a top duelist at a nice school," Duke said, just out of earshot of the group, "Whatever happened to the old geezer? And Mrs Hayashi too?" he continued, Akiko's body language seeming to turn grim as her answer was unintelligible amongst the moving contestants' feet… With that, both Yusuke and Alisson were now departing for their matches, leaving Chipp seldom at the table… "Aw great, now I'm friggin' alone!" Chipp exclaimed, lightly smacking his hands down whilst his name was called last. "Lastly, Chipp Macaster, versus Calvin Levinsky!" the blond legend said before Tristan hastily went over to the clock.

With that, everyone in the room would settle into their seats, unrolling playmats, shuffling decks and shaking hands… Chipp would take a moment to gaze upon his opponent. "Yo!" he said in a sharp whiny-pitched voice. This already disgusted the much more brazen and crass Chipp, who only responded with "Yo…" in his familiar deep and rugged voice. Chipp couldn't help but stare at his odd appearance… He couldn't have been any younger than him, but he was short. Scrawny. Pale.

As Chipp unrolled his playmat, the other would snort. "So you're one of the 'Duel Devastator's friends, huh?" "Something like that…" Chipp would say while also pulling out dice and taking note of his glasses, and blond bob-cut hair. "She isn't playing?" he said while rolling out his mat of a character from a trendy cartoon in a promiscuous situation… This made Chipp visibly and audibly disgusted whilst he said "N-No, she was late… Highroll?" he said while tossing out his dice and rolling out 4.

"Sure!" the other exclaimed while rolling out the two six-sided dice and coming up 7… "You have options…" Chipp said with a grimace, already not liking the rather snobbish and perverse vibe his opponent gave off… An eye would drift off, looking over to Joey, Duke, and herself. Caught in some sort of conversation. A bit disgruntled seeing her with two  _ legendary  _ figures in the duelling world for seemingly  _ no  _ reason. It frustrated him, if only slightly… Filling him with some form of contempt, or jealousy as Duke showed her pictures of his work with her supposed grandfather…

But alas, he could still  _ feel  _ Something. Hear  _ Something  _ as Akiko caught wind of his gaze, the pink-haired girl turning around and smiling at him quite friendly  _ despite  _ their bickering… He could feel the words "Good luck" come from her, but didn't see her lips move… And for whatever reason, it was one  _ hell  _ of a motivator. 'I don't need no fancy upbringing and a status to reach the top…' he thought to himself. His opponent stating; "I'll go second…" with a snicker.

'I don't need to get adopted into the president's family to get respect…' he thought to himself, both boys drawing off their starting 5… And as Tristan exclaimed; "Duelists, you may begin!" he thought… 'I'll overcome her, and Yusuke both…' as he placed down a card, "I'll begin this duel by activating Polymerization!!"


	20. A brief announcement!

Apologies for the extremely long delay, the holiday season for our western editors has dried us up of all our creative muse, and we've decided to take a brief hiatus from the series to relax, let off some steam, be with our families, and focus on our mental health.

Please be safe, we will return when the pandemic is affecting us no more!

**Author's Note:**

> Afterword, Credits and Thanks:
> 
> Head Writer - Asuna (Twitter/ GodofWaifus)
> 
> Lead Graphics Designer - Eric (Twitter/ KeeperOfCrows)
> 
> Lead Character Designer - Edo (Twitter/ UltimateBloo_D)
> 
> Individual Credits:
> 
> Chipp Macaster, Dialogue, Concept, and Character - Squid (Twitter/ ShinjukuGear)
> 
> Kagami Yuusuke, Dialogue, Concept, and Character - Eric (Twitter/ KeeperOfCrows)
> 
> Energized Monsters, Concept and Design - DZ-Aladan (Deviantart)
> 
> Unleashed Monsters, Concept and Design - Beast981 (Deviantart) (Edited)
> 
> Alter Monsters, Concept and Design - Beast981 (Deviantart) (Edited)
> 
> Thank you all so much for your hard work!


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